Something Ordinary
by blackbirdwings28
Summary: After a dark incident in his past, Kurt is uncapable of loving. Blaine, on the other hand, is capable of loving too much. Can he help Kurt believe in love once again? AU, vaguely based on QaF.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: This is my first multi-chaptered fic. I'm really excited about this one, I hope it turns out the way I want it to. It is sort of based on the Queer as Folk storyline but not so much to be considered a crossover. It will feature other pairings and characters besides Klaine. There will be violence later on and the occasional smutt. How I'm going to do that, I'm not sure.**

**Anyway, on with the story! And please review! That helps me improve both my English and my writing skills!**

**Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Fox and Ryan Murphy. I am just a fangirl.**

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><p>Blaine Anderson walked quickly through the dark streets, his eyes darting everywhere. He didn't even know how he ended up in the infamous "gay zone", but he was. One could almost say it was his subconscious speaking to him. Or mocking him, who knows.<p>

Lima's so called "gay zone" or _GZ_ as the regular costumers and visitors liked to call it, was a series of bars located in the darkest corner of the town. Lima wasn't known for being pro-gay, so those bars were sort of a taboo. Blaine had known of that place for a long time but hadn't man up to pay a visit. Partly because he wasn't 21 yet and partly because he was terrified someone might spot him there. Not many people in his life knew he was gay, not even his parents. The only ones he had told so far, where his closest friends; Santana and Quinn. He was afraid of telling anyone else and because of that, he hadn't even gone close to any gay bars.

But tonight was different. He hadn't exactly planned to end up there, but after fighting with his father he had taken off, walking aimlessly until he found himself standing in front of _Epsilon_, the most famous gay bar in the city. He knew there was no way he'd be able to get in; he just wanted to take a look. And so, he walked around till he found the back door.

He began walking towards it but before he reached it, the door was opened from the inside, revealing two guys coming out of the bar.

"Wait, why are we leaving? I was actually having a good time!" said an incredibly tall man.

"Because I'm bored. Nothing good tonight. ", said the other with a melodic voice. Blaine's eyes darted to the man who had just spoken. He was the most beautiful man Blaine had ever seen. He was tall, not as tall as the other guy but close enough. He had amazing chestnut hair, perfectly combed and styled. He was wearing a pair of impossibly tight gray jeans and a black shirt that contrasted with his porcelain skin.

The man was facing his friend as he spoke but then, he turned around, and his eyes were fixed on Blaine. Blaine was rendered speechless. His _eyes. _Blue, green and gray crashed together to reveal the most incredible eyes. The man came to a stop and eyed Blaine up and down. Finally, their eyes locked once more and he smirked.

"Well, maybe there _is _something good tonight."

Blaine's pulse quickened. What did he mean "something good"? The man approached him and Blaine backed away a little, fear obvious in his big, hazel eyes. The man behind them just rolled his eyes and crossed his arms across his chest.

"Hi, there. What's your name?"

"B-Blaine." He cleared his throat. "My name's Blaine."

"Well, Blaine. Isn't it a bit late for you? It's a school night after all."

"C'mon Kurt, leave him alone." The tall guy said.

"I'm not doing anything, Finn." Kurt said.

'_So, his name is Kurt, and the other guy is… Finn?' _Blaine thought as Kurt turned to face Finn.

"You wanted to go, remember?" Finn said, looking annoyed.

"Okay, fine. Let's go." Blaine was a bit crestfallen. Of course, he was nervous as hell, but it wasn't every day that he encountered a handsome gay man that seemed to be interested in him. In fact, Blaine was certain it was a first.

But just as Blaine was going through all of this in his head, Kurt turned to face Blaine.

"Are you coming?"

Blaine was speechless for a second. He pondered on the proposal. Should he leave with this guy? Sure, he was beautiful, but Blaine was certain he was not the type to do dates and puppy love. And as cheesy as it sounded Blaine had been walking through the streets of the GZ looking for exactly that.

Kurt kept staring at Blaine. "Well?"

'_Oh, what the hell' _Blaine thought before nodding. Kurt smiled and led him to the backseat of their car, Finn hopping on the driver's seat after giving an exasperated sigh. Blaine switched uncomfortably on the seat, until Kurt placed an arm around him.

"Relax." And Blaine did exactly that. After all, he didn't want to go home that night.

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><p><strong>What do you think? Is it good? Please review! Reviews make me happy!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note: Second chapter! Okay, so this one contains smut. I have never written any hot, steamy scenes so please don't be hard on me. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Glee still isn't mine… unfortunately.**

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><p>The car ride was silent at first. Finn kept staring at the couple in the backseat through the rear-view mirror. He didn't like this. Kurt was getting worse, taking home anyone who was even remotely attractive.<p>

Blaine was more than remotely attractive. Finn had to admit that the kid was very handsome. Black curly hair all gelled up, tanned skin and big, expressive hazel eyes…the sort of eyes that just screamed innocence. Blaine could only be around 18 years old. No, Finn didn't like this at all.

Kurt, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying the situation quite a bit. He was nuzzling his head against Blaine's neck, who chuckled in return, feeling ticklish.

After a while, Kurt just rested his head on Blaine's shoulder and remained silent.

The silence was too much and Blaine was feeling uncomfortable, so he decided to start a conversation.

"So, why did you guys leave the bar?"

"Because I found you." said Kurt, matter-of-factly.

Blaine blushed. "Wha… N-no, I mean… You were already leaving when I ran into you."

"Because we were at the gayest bar in all of Lima and my 100% straight brother was having more fun than me." Kurt answered looking at Finn, whose eyes remained on the road.

"Where are we going?" Finn suddenly asked. Kurt smiled crookedly.

"Home, James."

"Shut up, I wasn't talking to you." Kurt pretended to look hurt. "Blaine, where do you live?"

"Always the party-pooper…" Kurt sighed as Blaine answered.

"I-I'm not going home. I'm going with him."

"Hear that, Finn? He wants to go with me." said Kurt looking at Blaine, a triumphant smile on his face.

"Fine, whatever."

They didn't talk for the rest of the journey. Mainly because Finn was pissed off and Kurt kept nuzzling his head against Blaine's neck. Blaine was flustered and nervous but didn't pull back.

Suddenly, he felt Kurt kissing his neck and he tensed. Kurt noticed that and backed away to see Blaine's face.

"Shhh… Relax, Blaine. I'm not doing anything you don't want." Blaine turned to face him, his eyes wide.

Kurt felt something strange as he stared into those big, bright eyes. He didn't like feeling strange. He didn't like feeling, period. Feelings were dangerous.

Finn came to a stop at a red light. He looked once more through the rear mirror just as Blaine turned to face Kurt. His mouth fell open as he noticed the slight change in Kurt's features as he stared at Blaine.

A stranger could not have pointed it out; it was barely noticeable. But Finn knew his brother all too well, and loved him just as much. Of course he'd noticed the spark that shot across Kurt's eyes. It'd been years since he last saw that spark.

'I think he might _actually_like this kid,' Finn thought as the light turned green and he resumed his driving.

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><p>Finally, they arrived at their destination. Kurt and Blaine hopped out of the car and Finn said goodbye, not before giving Kurt a warning look. The two of them got to the elevator and Blaine saw Kurt pressing the last button. When the door opened, they were presented with Kurt's apartment.<p>

"You… you own the penthouse?" Blaine asked in awe.

"Actually, I own the building," Kurt said as he removed his coat.

"Oh. Wow. Well, it's very nice. Beautifully decorated, did you do it? O-or did you hire someone to do it, or…" Blaine was ranting and he knew it. Kurt began walking towards him.

"Yeah… I did it." He took Blaine's jacket off. "I think we've talked enough, don't you?"

Blaine gulped and said, "Y-you think that? I-I thought we should talk, get acquainted, you know? Before we, uh, do…"

Before Blaine could finish his sentence, Kurt's lips were on his. He was surprised and didn't know what to do. After all, it was his very first kiss. He closed his eyes and responded. When Kurt sensed that, he deepened the kiss. They broke apart, breathing heavily and not before long, Kurt was attacking Blaine's neck.

Blaine moaned tangling his hands in Kurt's hair. Kurt began unbuttoning the younger man's shirt, running his hands across the tanned skin. Blaine shivered at the touch and led Kurt's lips back to his. He was surprised by how natural this felt, how good. He wasn't nervous as Kurt began leading them towards the bed. Clothes flew everywhere and before they knew it, they were both naked.

Blaine felt a little self conscious and attempted to cover himself, but Kurt stopped him by grabbing his hands and placing them above Blaine's head, holding them with his own. He leaned down and kissed Blaine, gentler this time. He released Blaine's hands as his own began caressing Blaine's chest. Blaine arched towards the touch and breathed heavily.

Kurt traced kisses down Blaine's skin. He kissed every inch of his body, making Blaine moan and pant. It was incredible—Blaine's skin felt hot to the touch and he wanted more. He _needed_more. Kurt stopped and looked up to meet Blaine's eyes.

"Are you ready?" He asked, his eyes filled with lust.

Blaine swallowed hard and nodded. Kurt then proceeded to prepare him. When Blaine felt the finger at his entrance, his breath hitched. He gritted his teeth, getting used to the intrusion. Kurt kept whispering sweet nothings in his ear and when the pain finally subsided, Blaine felt amazing. His moans became louder and then Kurt inserted another and yet another finger, and Blaine felt he couldn't take it any longer. He felt he was going to explode with sheer pleasure.

Just as he was about to find his release, Kurt's fingers were gone. Blaine whimpered at the loss of contact but soon he saw Kurt putting a condom on and then felt him aligning himself to Blaine's entrance.

He pushed inside slowly and Blaine felt uncomfortable. This hurt… a lot.

"Relax, kid." Kurt said his voice deep and husky.

He was all the way in as Blaine panted and faced Kurt. There it was—that strange sensation tugging at Kurt's heart. What was it with this kid and his eyes? Kurt Hummel didn't feel. He had taught himself not to feel and he certainly wasn't going to let this kid alter that.

He pushed in a little more roughly than he had intended, mainly because he was getting frustrated by the confusing thoughts he was having. Blaine threw his head back and screamed; his back arched towards Kurt.

"Kurt! Oh, God. D-don't stop." Blaine was a writhing mess and got worse as Kurt's thrusts quickened.

"Fuck… So good…"

"Ah! Ah! K-Kurt! Faster! I, ugh… I'm close…" Blaine moaned. Kurt growled in response and his thrusts became even more erratic.

"Blaine, you feel so good. So tight."

"Ah! Fuck… Kurt! Kurt! AH!"

"Fuck, yes!"

They came together, panting heavily. Kurt fell on top of Blaine, their limbs tangled and their bodies a sweaty mess. Blaine was speechless, that had been the best thing he had experienced so far.

'Not bad for a first time,' he thought as he looked at Kurt, who has falling asleep. He held Kurt in his arms and drifted to sleep as well, a content smile on his face.

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><p>The next morning, Blaine woke up to an empty bed. He rubbed his eyes and looked around. He caught a glimpse of Kurt pacing around the bathroom. He was combing his hair and was already fully clothed.<p>

When he noticed that Blaine had woken up, Kurt turned around, smiling brightly.

"Oh, you're awake. Get dressed. I'll make you some breakfast. Hurry up; we're leaving in 20 minutes."

Blaine silently nodded and got up. He picked his clothes from the floor, blushing as he remembered the events from last night. He checked his phone and saw 10 missed calls from his mom.

"Shit!"

He had forgotten to call her but he was sure she would have called either Quinn or Santana and they'd cover for him. Of course, if that happened they wouldn't leave him alone until he confessed the real reason for not getting home last night.

They ate quickly and then left the apartment, Kurt ushering Blaine to his car. When he got a glimpse of it, he turned around with his mouth hanging open.

"A Porsche?" Kurt laughed at Blaine's shocked expression.

"The perks of being a successful business man." He shrugged and opened the passenger door.

Once they were both inside the car, Kurt faced Blaine.

"Two questions now. First, where am I dropping you and second, since your answer will probably be school, how old are you?"

"I-I, uh, I'm eighteen." Blaine answered, blushing furiously. He expected Kurt to go crazy on him, yell or kick him out of the car, but Kurt smiled kindly and just asked.

"So, where am I dropping you?"

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><p><strong>Please review! :D<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm sorry it took so long! My birthday was on Friday so I couldn't post it like I had originally planned. But here it is! I hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: These lovely characters belong to RIB and Fox :D**

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><p>William McKinley High School was crowded with students. Classes were about to start so there were people rushing towards the entrance. There were two girls who hadn't entered the building and seemed to be waiting for someone. One of them, a beautiful latina girl looked annoyed, as the other one, a pretty blond girl, was reading a book. They were Blaine's best friends, Santana Lopez and Quinn Fabray.<p>

Santana started tapping her foot on the pavement, making it impossible for Quinn to continue her reading. She noticed Santana's impatience and closed her book.

"Calm down San, he'll be here. You know Blaine, he never skips school."

"And he better not start today! Seriously, what's _wrong _with him? He finally gets some and he doesn't even bother to _call_? I could've given him some tips!" Santana answered, crossing her arms.

"God, is sex _all_ you ever think about? We don't know for sure if he was with someone last night."

Just as Santana was about to answer, someone yelled.

"Oh my God! Is that a _Porsche_?"

Both girls turned around in time to see a black Porsche arriving at the school's parking lot. Many students were gathering in front of the entrance, trying to get a look at whoever was inside the car. Santana and Quinn also approached the scene.

Blaine saw all the people waiting for him to get out of the car and started panicking. But he soon spotted Quinn and Santana on a far end and felt relieved. Then he remembered he'd need to tell them everything that went down the night before and he didn't feel so relieved anymore.

'_Should I tell them everything? Quinn won't ask too many personal questions, I'm sure. But San… Oh, God! Santana won't leave me alone! And she'll keep asking really uncomfortable questions… Shit! This is going to be embarrassing'_

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he jumped in surprise when he heard Kurt talk.

"We're here, kid."

Kurt's tone was harsh. Blaine faced him and noticed the cautious look on his eyes. He had been quiet ever since Blaine told him what school he went to. He wanted to ask, but Kurt had seemed so upset, he decided to drop it. Maybe he'd been a student here. Maybe he had hated it. Maybe it brought him nasty memories. Either way, Blaine decided it was none of his business.

"Uh, yeah. Thank you for dropping me off. You, uh, didn't need to do that," he said nervously as he grabbed the door's handle.

"It was nothing, don't worry about it." But his tone made it clear that it _had _been something and Blaine _was _worried. He didn't ask, though, he knew better than that.

Their eyes met and they stared at each other for what seemed like forever. Blaine wanted to just reach out and kiss him but he hadn't forgotten they had an audience. He turned around reluctantly and opened the door.

"See you around," he heard Kurt say as he was stepping out of the car. His eyes darted to Kurt's face and he smiled brightly.

"Yeah, sure."

Kurt stared at him for a moment, his eyes unreadable. When Blaine closed the door, Kurt started the engine again and drove off. As soon as the car was out of sight, Blaine was surrounded by curious classmates who wanted to know about his mysterious driver.

"Okay, the show's over. Now move it!" Blaine heard Santana yelled as she and Quinn walked over to where he was. People moved to let them through, Santana being one of the most popular and frightening girls at school.

"Now, _you_ have got some explaining to do," she said, grinning mischievously as she grabbed him by the arm and led him inside the building. Quinn just smiled knowingly and linked herself to Blaine's free arm.

'_Here we go'_ he thought as they walked to first period.

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><p>Finn was making breakfast when he heard his girlfriend, Rachel, coming down the stairs.<p>

"Morning, beautiful!" He said as she entered the kitchen. She smiled and mumbled a response, to which Finn laughed.

"How did it go last night?" Rachel asked as she served herself some coffee, "Did a handsome guy catch your eye?"

Finn handed her a plate as he sat down.

"_Ha ha_, very funny. It was fun, at first. Kurt got bored and decided to leave early. And I thought we'd made it. No one had caught his eye and I just thought Kurt would go home _alone_, for once. But then… there was this guy outside the bar. He was just a _kid_ and, you know. Kurt liked him instantly and approached him. Next thing I now, the kid had agreed to go with him."

"Oh, no…"

"Yes. I didn't like it at all and tried to convince the kid to go home. But then, something strange happened. We came to a stop at a red light and as I looked through the rear-view mirror, this scene caught my eye. They were looking at each other and I _saw_ it, Rach. I saw that spark in Kurt's eyes as he stared at the kid. It was gone in an instant, but it was there. It was like seeing the old Kurt again."

"Wait, what are you saying?" asked Rachel, looking confused.

"I'm saying it was the first time in years that I saw Kurt look at someone like that! Our old Kurt is not completely gone! And maybe that kid could bring him back to us!" he said, smiling broadly. Rachel, however, was not smiling.

"Finn, while I admire your enthusiasm, you must remember that it's been a really long time and Kurt still hasn't changed. And just because he showed_ some_ emotion while staring at a boy doesn't mean we'll get the old Kurt back. He's too… damaged." Rachel said sadly, staring at her plate.

She looked up and noticing Finn's smile fading, she quickly added, "D-don't get me wrong, I want my best friend back to how he used to be just as bad as you do. I just… I'm not holding my breath. And I don't want you to get all excited just to be disappointed again."

"Yeah, I know. _God_, do I know. I just… I miss my brother," His voice cracked and Rachel was by his side in an instant. She wrapped her arms around him tightly as tears started falling down her face.

"I know."

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><p>"Care to tell us where you were last night? And don't you <em>dare<em> lie to me, Blaine Anderson. I'd hate to go all Lima Heights on you, of all people." said Santana, as their class started.

"Okay, okay! Calm down. I got into a fight with my dad again so I just took my keys and left. Next thing I know, my subconscious was playing tricks on me and I ended up in GZ."

Quinn's eyes widened and said, "GZ? As in _the Gay Zone_?" Santana just smirked and raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. I got near _Epsilon_ and went to the backdoor to check out what was going on and suddenly, two guys come out of the bar…"

"Anderson, Lopez and Fabray, if you three have more important things to do than pay attention to my class; I suggest you leave the classroom."

The three friends shook their heads and mumbled apologies. The teacher eyed them sternly and continued with his lecture. They decided to continue their conversation through little notes.

_**- So, what's his name and was it a good fuck?**_

_**- OMG, Santana! TMI! You don't have to answer that, Blaine.**_

_**- It's okay, Quinny. His name was Kurt and… yes.**_

_**- You lucky bastard! Do you plan on seeing him again?**_

Blaine stared at the little note and smiled fondly before scribbling _**"maybe I'll see him tonight."**_ and handing it to his best friends. When they read it, they squealed, earning yet another stern look from the teacher. They apologized once more and winked at Blaine, Santana mouthing 'wanky'. His smile just grew wider.

'_Yes, I think I will pay him a visit." _He thought as he began taking notes for the class.

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><p>Kurt sat on his couch reading a magazine. He was incredibly bored and kept waiting for the sound of the elevator to indicate that his guest had arrived. After a few minutes, the sound came and the doors opened. Kurt got up and approached his guest.<p>

"Well, hello there. You're _exactly_ what I had expected for tonight."

"Good to know, but first things first… It'll be $100"

"Right," said Kurt as he took out his wallet, placing the money on the guy's hand. He put the money away and grabbed Kurt's waist. They kissed hard and just as Kurt was finished removing the guy's shirt, the elevator's doors opened once more. The pair turned their heads to see who had interrupted them and, after seeing who the intruder was, Kurt gave an exasperated sigh.

"What are _you_ doing here?"

Blaine was entering the apartment, his eyes wide. Standing before him were Kurt and some half naked guy. He blushed furiously and he looked down quickly.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't know you had company. I-I'll just go." He pressed the elevator's button and got inside. Just as the doors were closing, he looked up one more time and his eyes found Kurt's. They were gleaming with tears and it made Kurt's chest hurt.

"I think you should go after him," Kurt turned around startled. He had forgotten that the guy he hired was still there! _What the hell was Blaine doing to him?_

"Fuck this," he said as he got inside the elevator and went all the way down. He caught up with Blaine as he was about to get inside his car. When Blaine heard the footsteps behind him, he turned around and was surprised to find Kurt.

"Listen to me. I don't know what you want, but you need to know I don't do boyfriends, okay? I'm not th-"

"I know."

"…what?" Kurt was taken aback.

"I know you don't do boyfriends and relationships. You were just having fun with me, not even caring how I would feel afterwards. I was just a fuck for you. I know, I knew it all along." Blaine's face was unreadable as he said this. Kurt, on the other hand, was very much surprised.

"Then why did you come here?"

"Because I wanted you to prove me wrong. Show that you gave a shit about taking my virginity away or something. It's okay, though. I might be younger but I'm not dumber. I won't bother you with any more visits" Blaine's eyes were still gleaming with tears but he forced himself not to cry, "Goodbye, Kurt."

Before Kurt was able to answer, Blaine got inside his car and drove off, leaving him standing alone on the sidewalk. He was confused and he could feel the turmoil of feelings stirring up in his chest for the first time in years.

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><p><strong>AN: Some reviews would make me extremely happy! ;)<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's note: Hi guys! So, this is my little Halloween treat. It's also an apology because my exams are approaching and I don't how long it'll take me to update. **

**I hope you like this; I was excited when I wrote it. But I get excited about pretty much anything, so don't mind me :D**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Glee, Cockblocktober would have never happened.**

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><p>"I'm so stupid!"<p>

Blaine was pacing all around Quinn's room. He had just come back from Kurt's place. He didn't want to go home and face his dad so he had ended up paying a late visit to his best friend. After all, Blaine had thought, it was Friday night, so he could crash at her place. He had let her mom know where he'd be and she had agreed.

"No, you're not. And would you please just sit down? You're making me nervous."

Blaine finally seated on the edge of the bed.

"But I am! First, I had this insane thought that _maybe_he had liked me enough to see me again. That, of course, did not happen. And then, just as I told him I'd leave him alone, I remembered that I left my fucking cell phone at his place again!" He let out an exasperated sigh and threw himself to the bed.

"Well, leaving your phone there on purpose just to see him again and then forgetting that was the excuse for your unexpected visit _was_stupid. I'll give you that."

"Thanks for putting it like that, I feel _way_better," Blaine said sarcastically.

Quinn laid down next to him, placing her head on his shoulder and grabbing his hand.

"I'm sorry. So, what are you going to do?"

"I don't know. I can't go back there."

"Why not? I'm sure he'll understand that you are the most forgetful man on earth," Quinn smiled affectionately and backed away to see Blaine's eyes.

He smiled in return and squeezed her hand.

"No, Quinny. If I see him again, it'll be worse. I have a feeling that I could fall in love with him. And I just... I don't want to fall in love with someone who won't feel the same. Who _can't_feel the same."

"Well, he's a dickhead for not falling madly in love with you."

Blaine laughed loudly and looked at his best friend.

"Did you just say 'dickhead'? You, Quinn Fabray, saying bad words? Who are you and what have you done with my best friend?"

Quinn attempted to look offended but Blaine was laughing again, forcing her to laugh as well.

"Yes, well... 'Idiot' didn't seem to cover it."

They laughed again until their stomachs hurt. When they were able to calm themselves down, Blaine gave a loud sigh and wrapped his arms around Quinn. She rested her head on his chest as Blaine spoke again.

"Thanks, Quinn. You always know what to say to make me feel better. And make me laugh."

"I am pretty funny, aren't I? But, seriously now, what are you going to tell your parents, about your phone?" she said and stifled a yawn.

Blaine sighed again and focused his eyes on the ceiling.

"I should just tell them that I lost it at school."

"Good idea," Quinn answered and Blaine noticed she was falling asleep. His arms remained around her and he readjusted himself so both of them could sleep pleasantly. Quinn mumbled what sounded like a complaint but remained asleep. He smiled as he watched her shift closer to him until she was comfortable.

'_I'm lucky to have a friend like you,' _Blaine thought as he stroked her hair.

His attention returned to the ceiling as he thought of the events of the day. After a while, he felt his eyelids heavy. He drifted to sleep, his mind filled with thoughts of blue eyes and porcelain skin.

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><p>Kurt returned to his apartment. He was intrigued by what had happened moments ago. Truthfully, he <em>had <em>expected Blaine to look for him. After all, that's what most men did once he screwed them. But he hadn't expected a reaction quite like that. Blaine didn't push, didn't beg for Kurt to see him again. He didn't act like the annoying teenager he was supposed to be and declared his undying love for Kurt. Blaine just wanted Kurt to show that he _cared_. And when he realized he wasn't wanted, he simply backed off.

Kurt thought that he'd be better let the kid know that happy endings didn't happen. It was something he needed to learn early or he'd face a heart-wrenching situation and end up damaged. Like Kurt. Besides, Kurt didn't care or feel anything for anyone. He had stopped feeling a long time ago. But for a strange reason, this kid made him feel _something_. And Kurt didn't like that. So the farther away Blaine was, the happier Kurt would be.

He reached his apartment and entered. When he glanced up, he found the guy he'd hired naked on the couch, waiting for him.

'_Fuck, I'd forgotten he was here… again.'_

"Ready for me? Or are we expecting someone else to join us?" said the nameless man, raising an eyebrow and smiling crookedly.

"Get out."

"You want me to go? Oh, wait. Let me guess. The kid was your lover and found you cheating on him with me, right? Well, if he broke up with you, I can still be your consolation price."

"I said get out." Kurt's voice was firm and the guy's eyes widened in surprise. He shrugged and got up. He put his clothes on as Kurt went to the kitchen and took out a bottle of water from the fridge.

The man approached him and took the $100 bill from his pocket, handing it over to Kurt. He looked at it for an instant, debating whether or not to take it. The man had driven all the way from god knows where to be fucked only to encounter a bitchy customer that would kick him out.

"Keep it. To fill your gas tank or whatever."

The bill went back to the man's pocket and he got out of the apartment. Kurt stared at the door and sighed. He was tired and his mind was thinking uncomfortable things. Dangerous things. He needed to sleep and stop thinking. He entered his bedroom and got undressed. As he was getting into the bed, he noticed something on his night table.

"So _this_ is why you came back, not me…" Kurt let out a little laugh, "You're an interesting one, Blaine Anderson." He said as he picked up the phone and stared at it.

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><p>On Monday morning, Kurt woke up early and called Finn.<p>

"Kurt? What's up, bro?" said Finn and his voice sounded groggy.

"Sorry to wake you, but I need you to do me a favor."

"Okay..."

"I need you to return a phone to someone who forgot it at my place."

"What? You've got to be kidding me! You want me to return a cell phone to one of the guys you slept with? I'm not your freaking secretary, taking care of the lovers you don't longer want!"

"Come on, Finn. I just don't want to see this kid again. Besides, you are closer to where he is and I have way too much work that needs to be done."

When he heard Kurt say 'kid', Finn understood everything. He didn't feel so annoyed anymore. Kurt was referring to Blaine, the boy that embodied Finn's last hope of getting his brother back. He smiled because he realized that it must mean something if Kurt didn't want to face Blaine again. This looked promising. He wanted to prove Rachel and his parents wrong. Kurt was not completely gone. Even if it'd been years since he'd changed, he could still return to his old self. And Finn just knew that Blaine was exactly what he needed to accomplish that. Still, he had to hide his excitement. When he spoke again, he pretended to sound annoyed and defeated.

"Fine, but this is the last time. Where can I find the boy?"

Finn was surprised to know Blaine attended McKinley but didn't comment on it. They hanged up and Finn started getting ready. He needed to leave earlier if he wanted to get the phone and find Blaine before his classes started.

As he got out of his house, he started thinking about his plan. He remembered that Blaine was younger than them and probably had little experience on the love department. Finn remembered Blaine's eyes the night they found him, full of innocence and youth. The plan now seemed flawed and even slightly dangerous. Because, as much as it pained Finn to admit it, getting Blaine involved with Kurt was probably a bad idea. He'd get hurt and he'd lose that spark in his eyes. The same spark Kurt used to have.

Finn sighed and gave up on his plan. He'd just have to find another way to make Kurt see the light.

He arrived at Kurt's work. He was the editor and artistic director of an important fashion magazine. Finn entered the elegant building and greeted the secretary. She handed him the phone and told him Kurt was in an important meeting and could not come down to see him. Finn thanked her and walked out. It was still early so he drove fast to his next destination: William McKinley High School.

Blaine was sitting outside the school's doors, waiting for his friends, when Finn arrived. He got out of the car and as stared at the building. Memories of his days as a high school student suddenly came rushing back. He smiled fondly as he recalled falling in love with the one and only Rachel Berry and gaining both a father and a brother. Those were the best things that happened to him while attending that school.

He came out of his reverie when a car parked nearby. Remembering the purpose of his visit, he walked towards the younger boy. Once he was close enough, Finn noticed Blaine was drawing. His mouth hanged open as he stared at the sheet of paper. It was an incredibly detailed portrait of two girls laughing at what appeared to be a coffee shop. The sketch was so beautifully made that one could almost mistake it for a photograph.

"You're good, kid."

Blaine stopped drawing and looked up. His eyes widened ever so slightly but remained calm.

"Thanks… Finn, right?"

"That's me. Listen, I don't want to take much of your time. Your classes are probably about to start, so here." He handed the phone to Blaine. His expression turned into one of shock and he asked.

"Did… did _he_ gave this to you? Why didn't he come and give it to me himself?" A hint of disappointment was noticeable in Blaine's tone and Finn sighed.

"Look, Blaine, it's better this way. Kurt's not good for you. It breaks my heart to admit it but it's true. He'll hurt you and it kills me to say it because, in all honesty, I thought _you_ would be able to help him. But he's too far gone. So just… let him go."

"You thought _I_ could help him?"

"Yeah, I'm known for having stupid ideas", Finn shrugged, "But it doesn't matter. Anyways, take care of yourself, kid"

They said their goodbyes and Finn returned to his car. Blaine remained still, his eyes fixed on his phone.

'_I really need to forget about him, then.' _Blaine thought sadly as he spotted Santana and Quinn approaching him. He got up and met them so the three of them could enter the building together.

* * *

><p>"Mmm, yes…"<p>

Kurt planted open kisses to the man beneath him as he prepared to enter him. In one quick thrust he was all the way in and the man moaned loudly. They were locked in the janitor's closet. _That_ had been Kurt's important morning meeting.

"Yes, so good… Move…" Kurt began thrusting, his eyes closed. The man kept moaning as Kurt grunted in response. Suddenly, he opened his eyes and as he stared at the other man's face, he stopped and his eyes widened.

"Hey! Don't stop!" The man complained but Kurt wasn't listening. Because, for the briefest of instants, it wasn't the face of this guy that Kurt had seen.

It was Blaine's.

**Remember, reviews make me see Klainebows and Klisses.. Who doesn't want that! So please review! **


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Found time to finish this chapter! I hope you like it! **

**Disclaimer: People, c'mon. If I owned Glee we would not have to wait till Tuesday for 'The First Time'.**

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><p>Several days had passed since Kurt's unfortunate event in the janitor's closet. He could not understand why he had seen that kid's face. It was getting annoying and he was truly beginning to regret taking Blaine home that night. There was no reason to continue to waste his time thinking about a high school boy that he happened to screw one night and yet, he found himself doing exactly that.<p>

The situation had gotten to the point where Kurt had not slept with anyone for a couple of days. That was just _not _acceptable. But he had figured out the perfect solution.

'_I just need to fuck him one more time!' _he thought happily as he paced around his office, work forgotten in his desk.

He stopped and pondered on his idea. It had to be it. Kurt had to admit, Blaine had been one of his top ten most amazing lovers. His body seemed to fit perfectly with Kurt's, even if he had been a virgin. So, he decided that his body had liked it so much that it needed more. That sort of thing surely must have happened to him before. He couldn't recall any particular case, but he figured it was just because it was a long list of men to think about.

So that was all there was to it. A simple itch he had and finding Blaine and bedding him again would make the itch stop.

'_Yes, no need to worry. I'll pay him a visit at school soon." _

Once his internal struggle to figure out the mess Blaine had made in his life had ended, he continued working. It had been a busy week and he needed to catch up. He returned to his seat and began going through the designs for next month's cover. He did, in fact, take his job pretty seriously.

Now, Kurt Hummel might have been an unfixable mess when it came to relationships. But he was _amazing_ at work. He was always a great student. He and his brother finished high school, Kurt graduating as top of his class. His parents had been incredibly proud of both of them. Finn got in Ohio State University down at Columbus to major in Environmental Engineering – a nice surprise – and Kurt was admitted in the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. He had accomplished his dream of getting out of the small town he hated so much.

It'd been _quite_ the experience, living in the big city. Kurt's dramatic change in behavior had happened during his senior year so when he started college, he discovered the perks of being a single, independent young man in one of the most amazing cities in the world. He got _wild_. Parties every weekend, lovers every night but still, he managed to remain one of the top students and got various job offers when he graduated college.

One of those offers was back at Lima for the position of Art Director in a magazine. His father had practically begged him to take it and come back home just to keep an eye on him and try to make him settle down or at least, stop sleeping around. Kurt accepted the offer but didn't change his partying ways.

However, he did a good job. In two years, he had managed to increase the sales of the magazine, had redesigned the entire image of _Epsilon _(which, in return, granted him free access every night), had started creating his own fashion line and had slept with half of Lima's gay population. All that, and he was _just_ 24 years old. He was rather proud of himself for accomplishing all of the above in such a short time after graduating.

He was suddenly interrupted by the sound of his phone ringing. It was his boss. He picked up and talked to him about the changes that needed to be done for about an hour. His boss told him he could take the rest of the day off since he had finished early. He loved Kurt as his own son and allowed him to do as he pleased since he got his job done and brought good results to the magazine. When he hanged up, he realized it was his lunch time. He smirked; with the day off, this was the perfect opportunity to visit a certain honey-eyed teenager. He grabbed his coat and stepped out of his office.

* * *

><p>He parked his car a few blocks away from the school as he remembered the reactions of Blaine's classmates when he had dropped him off last time. He didn't want to be noticed until he had found the younger boy and so, he stepped out of the car and walked through the cars in the parking lot. He felt slightly uncomfortable as he recalled his days at McKinley but he quickly brushed them off. Kids were starting to get out of the main entrance and Kurt squinted his eyes trying to locate his target.<p>

After several students passed him by, he was able to distinguish some dark gelled curls. Someone called him from afar and he turned around and waved. Then, he started walking towards a bench where he seated and took out a notebook from his bag. Kurt watched him for a little bit before making his way towards Blaine, who seemed too enwrapped in his notebook to notice anything around him.

"What's that?" he asked; his voice cool and casual. Blaine stopped what he was doing and just stared at the paper in front of him. That high-pitched voice was unmistakable. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before looking up and locking eyes with Kurt.

"What are you doing here? I thought you didn't want to see me again."

Kurt shrugged. "I changed my mind. So, what do you have there?" He seated next to Blaine, who moved slightly away from Kurt. Kurt's pride was slightly hurt by the small act of rejection, but he ignored it.

"Um, it's nothing." He tried to return the paper to his bag but Kurt was quicker and stole it from him. Blaine blushed and tried to get it back but Kurt gently pushed him away, his eyes never leaving the paper in his hands.

It was a drawing like the one Finn had caught Blaine making when he returned the forgotten phone. Only this time, it featured a woman who, Kurt decided, was Blaine's mother. She was reading a book, seating on a couch in an elegant pose. Kurt was astonished by the amazing talent the younger boy had.

"This is incredibly good" he said in a low voice as Blaine stared at his hands, a slight blush on his cheeks.

"Uh, thanks. Now, can I please have it back?" Kurt handed the drawing over to him. He snatched it and put it away. He glanced up at Kurt and stared at the crashing of colors in his eyes.

"Why aren't you going home like the rest of your buddies?" Kurt asked.

"I didn't feel like getting home early. But that's not important. What are _you_ doing here?" He asked again, feeling slightly lightheaded and resisting the urge to just grab the beautiful man's face and kiss him.

Kurt stood up and told him, "Well, if you don't want to go home, then let me take you for a ride." He raised an eyebrow and smiled cockily as he awaited Blaine's response.

Blaine knew he should resist him, he knew he should turn down the offer. But he couldn't and he didn't. He gave a small nod and stood as well, following Kurt to his car.

* * *

><p>Quinn and Santana observed the entire scene from far away. Santana was giving an approving nod but Quinn was frowning.<p>

"Okay, that guy is cute. And he's loaded. Mama Lopez is proud! Sweet old Blainers is doing _good_," said Santana as they watched them stand up from the bench and moving towards the Porsche from last time.

"I don't like this, San. What if he hurts Blaine?"

"Then he can forget about having sex for the rest of his life. Don't worry, Quinn. He hurts my boy and he answers to me," said Santana in a dangerous tone.

Quinn smiled at her but shook her head. She glanced up once more to the place where both men had been moments ago and bit her lip in worry. She still didn't like this.

* * *

><p>The doors of Kurt's apartment opened as both of them stumbled in, their hands all over each other. Blaine's bag fell to the floor and the sound made him come out of his trance. They broke apart and Kurt began kissing his neck.<p>

"K-Kurt, wait. Stop, please. Just st-", he was interrupted as Kurt's lips found his again. He sighed into the kiss and tangled his hands in Kurt's hair. He was losing this battle and he knew it. But he summoned enough strength and will to push Kurt away. They were panting heavily and Kurt's eyes were dark with lust.

"I said stop," said Blaine breathlessly.

"Why? You know you want this as much as I do."

"Why are you doing this? You're the one that said that you don't do boyfriends. I was just a one night stand, remember? What do you want from me?" Blaine's eyes were wide and he looked pleadingly at Kurt.

"Don't get your hopes up, I still don't do boyfriends. But right now, I want you and you want me. So why don't we just cut the crap and give our bodies what they want?" He stepped closer and wrapped his arms around Blaine's waist, pulling him closer. Kurt's scent was intoxicating and Blaine felt his resistance fade away. Even though his mind told him to run for it, to leave and forget all about this gorgeous man in front of him, he couldn't do it.

'_One last time', _he thought as he closed the gap between them and kissed Kurt softly.

The kiss got heated rather quickly and the layers of clothing separating their skins soon came off. They moved, their lips never breaking apart, until they got to the bed. Kurt placed himself over Blaine, his weight on his arms and knees, their lips the only place their bodies were touching. Blaine wanted to change that and grabbed Kurt's face in his hands, pulling him closer.

Kurt let his weight fall over Blaine and started trailing kisses on his neck, slowly moving towards his chest and lower still.

Blaine sighed and moaned as he felt Kurt's mouth on his skin. But he decided two could play this game. He gently tugged at Kurt's hair, making him stop. Blaine pulled him up so that both of them could be in sitting positions. Kurt looked confused as Blaine caressed his face and gently swept a strand of hair away from his eyes. Kurt felt like in a trance as his heart began to beat faster. He couldn't tear his eyes away from Blaine's. He noticed how the younger boy suddenly came closer and kissed him sweetly on the lips. Then he moved upwards and kissed Kurt's eyelids as he sighed. Blaine continued to place light kisses all over Kurt's face. He began to trace butterfly kisses all through Kurt's body.

Kurt stared at Blaine as the boy explored every inch of his body. He closed his eyes and tilted his head backwards as his mouth hanged open. Both of them laid down as their lips found each other again. They kissed until they had to come up for air and Kurt began running his hands up and down Blaine's body. It felt like an electric shock, every time they touched and they both moaned at the sensation.

Kurt was gentler and prepared Blaine more carefully than he had the first time. When he was finally inside Blaine, their moans grew louder. Blaine kept asking for more and Kurt kept providing. As they felt heir orgasms drawing nearer, Kurt's thrust became erratic. Blaine kept whispering Kurt's name as he wrapped his arms around Kurt's neck and pulled him closer.

They came together, screaming each other's name. As the intense wave of pleasure subsided, they smiled at each other and kissed gently until they fell asleep, their bodies tangled and sweaty.

* * *

><p>The next morning, the sun entered through the windows of Kurt's apartment. He was still sleeping, his naked body tangled in the sheets. When a ray of light reached his face, he grunted and hid his face in the pillows. Slowly, he opened his eyes and disorientation kicked in for a moment.<p>

His face light up with a satisfied smile as he remembered his tryst with Blaine and sighed. He had accomplished his plan and could now let go of the burning itch that had been bothering him ever since he met the younger man. Of course, he would be the perfect gentleman again, offering to drive Blaine to school. He would watch him enter the building and disappear out of his life.

He turned around in the bed, intending to wake the kid up. He frowned as he got up, noticing the empty space next to him. He walked to the kitchen, not even bothering to put some clothes on. It was empty.

"Blaine?" No one answered.

'_What the hell?'_ he thought as he searched the entire apartment. He looked inside the bathroom and found no one. He came out to the living room, recalling Blaine's bag falling near the entrance last night. When he got there, he noticed there was no bag on the floor.

Blaine was gone.

Kurt's face twisted in anger and disbelief. _Nobody_ left Kurt. _He _was the one to fuck them and leave them. In all these years of sleeping around, Kurt had never woken up to find his lover gone. It hurt his pride, big time. That a fucking high-schooler had made _him_ look like the one night stand was offending. He had to get back at him. He didn't care if it was childish; Kurt was not the type of guy one fucked and dumped. Blaine would soon learn that.

And it looked like The Itch would stick with Kurt a little bit longer.

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><p><strong>So, I know nothing <strong>_**much**_** happened in this one but I promise the real action-packed chapters are just around the corner!**

**Oh, and please review! (:**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: I'm so sorry it took me so long to update! D: I love it when authors update quickly and I wanted to do that with you guys but exams came up and I didn't have time to write. My deep and most sincere apologies go to you. **

**I hope you like this! Also, I'd love to hear more from you! **

**Disclaimer: After 'The First Time' and its awesomeness I think I'll trust RIB and let them continue to own Glee. **

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><p>The Anderson home stood at the end of a street full of elegant houses. It was magnificent and lovely but sort of resembling a cozy English cottage. Blaine reached the door and sighed, he hoped he'd be able to go in and out unnoticed. He turned the knob and entered as quietly as he could.<p>

'_I just need a change of clothes,' _he thought to himself as he walked through the hallway.

Unfortunately, his parents were already up and waiting for him. When he stepped into the living room, he found both of them standing by the fireplace.

He cursed under his breath; this was going to get ugly. His mother looked nervous, but tried to her best to appear calm. His father, however, looked absolutely furious.

"Where the _hell_ have you been?"

"Out," said Blaine defiantly. His mother frowned and gave him a warning look.

"Out? That's _all_ you have to say? Do you have any idea of how worried we were?"

"Oh, please!" Blaine said in a sarcastic tone and let out a small laugh. "Like _you_ would notice. You probably only realized I wasn't home because mom told you."

"Don't you use that tone with me! What's gotten into you? Huh? Are you in some sort of gang? Are you doing drugs?"

Blaine rolled his eyes and refused to answer such stupid accusations.

"Answer me, dammit!"

His mother took one step forward and grabbed her husband's arm.

"Harold…"

Blaine's father pulled his arm away and yelled at her.

"Stay out of this, Kate!"

"Hey! Don't talk to my mom like that!" His mom looked at him and shook her head. His father turned to look at him.

"Shut up, Blaine. I'm not done with you."

"But _I'm _done with you," said Blaine as he grabbed his bag and went up to his room, ignoring the frantic yells of his father to come back down.

He closed the door and threw his bag on his bed. He went to the closet and pulled out his shirt, looking for another to wear. He looked for one of his sketch books and threw it inside his bag as he heard the front door being slammed. His father must have left for work. Moments later, there was a soft knock on the door and his mom appeared. Blaine turned around and sighed as she came closer and pulled him in a hug. He held her close and closed his eyes.

"I'm so sorry, mom."

She pulled away and locked her eyes with his.

"It's okay, honey. Just… Please don't do that again. You know I don't mind if you want to stay with friends, I know how things are between you and your father these days. I just want you to _talk _to me, okay? Let me know what's bothering you; let me know where you are. Don't keep things from me, Blaine. Help me so I can help _you."_

Blaine nodded as he answered, "I know, I'm sorry. I meant to call you but I forgot. It won't happen again, I promise. It's just… Sometimes I can't take it, mom. He makes me so angry lately."

"I know, sweetheart. But I need you to communicate with me, yes? If I know where you are, what you're doing, there's no need for a scene like this to repeat itself."

Blaine smiled at his mom. She had always understood him and helped him. He felt extremely guilty for not thinking of her before he agreed to go with Kurt. He promised himself he wouldn't do that to her again and it would be somewhat easy to keep that promise, considering he'd never see Kurt again. He felt his stomach drop at that realization and his smile faltered. His mother noticed and asked.

"Is something else bothering you, Blaine?" He stared at his mother's eyes and found nothing but love and warmth.

'_This could be the moment,'_ Blaine thought. _'Just say it and get it over with. Mom, I'm gay. Mom... I met someone. Mom, he doesn't want me.'_

Just let her know everything. Be able to cry on her shoulder because the first person he was ever interested in him didn't want him. Be able to talk to her and listen to her advice. Be able to be his true self with her.

But he could not do it, he was afraid of her reaction. He was afraid of losing his mother. So he just said, "I'm still upset about the fight with my dad. Even if we don't really get along these days, I hate fighting with him."

She smiled understandingly and cupped his cheek with her hand.

"Then vent out all of your feelings. Draw. Draw till you drop, until you feel at peace with yourself. Draw everything you're feeling. You have a gift, Blaine. Make it your safe place. Make it your escape from the real world."

Blaine realized then that he would be lost without his mom. That's why he could not tell her his secret. The mere thought of her rejecting him nearly killed him. So he just nodded and hugged her again. She was right, he had a way to let it all out and he planned on using it.

After the tender moment, Blaine grabbed his things and left for school. He was already late for first period when he arrived, so he took a seat on the bench he'd been the day before when Kurt approached him. He took out his sketch book and lost himself in the magic of drawing. He wasn't really paying attention to what he was creating; he just let his hand wander through the paper.

That was what he always did. It was like entering a trance where his mind left his body and wandered while his hands made their art. Whenever he felt like he'd had enough, he'd draw or paint something. He left all his insecurities, his fears and anger on the drawing. Normally, his feelings were shaped into something. Sometimes, they took the shape of a person. It was a fun thing for Blaine, to forget about everything and be surprised of what his mind came up with to represent his feelings.

When he finished, he let out the breath he didn't know he was holding and stared at the finished sketch. Even if he wasn't expecting the outcome, he couldn't say he was surprised by it.

Because his bottled-up feelings seemed to have taken the form of one Kurt Hummel.

* * *

><p>The alarm clock rang loudly, successfully waking Rachel up. She opened her eyes unwillingly and turned it off. She got up and went down the stairs to find her boyfriend almost ready to leave the house.<p>

"Why are you up so early? You don't have to go to work till 10 on Fridays" she said, startling Finn. He turned around and smiled at her.

"Hi, babe. Yeah, I know. But I have to go help Burt at the workshop so I have to leave a bit earlier."

"What time will you be home tonight?" she asked and saw Finn's face turn serious.

"Yeah, about that… Kurt wants to go out tonight so I'll be home late," as Rachel frowned, he quickly added, "I'll bring Puck with me, that way we can get out of there early and hopefully Kurt won't have any boy toys with him."

Rachel pondered on Finn's plan. Noah Puckerman was Kurt and Finn's best friend. Finn and Puck had met at college when he was a junior and Puck was a freshman. When Finn introduced Puck to his brother, they hit it off right away. Puck and Kurt were similar to a certain extent, the difference being that Puck actually cared for the girls he slept with, even if they were many, whereas Kurt only saw the guys he slept with as sex toys.

The three of them were really close and always hanged out together. With Puck graduating from college this year, they had more time to go out, even if most of the times they went to gay bars to keep an eye on Kurt. Puck was cool with that, as long as he'd find a cute girl to make out with once they got out.

'_Maybe he'll nag Kurt all night long and make them leave early,_' Rachel thought. She figured it'd be a good thing for Puck to go with the two brothers.

Finn took Rachel out of her reverie as he came near her to kiss her goodbye. He went out the door and Rachel was left to her own thoughts again. She sighed as she sat on one of the chairs. She was worried about Finn. He'd been too invested into getting Kurt to his old self these days. Ever since they had met that Blaine boy, Finn had grown obsessed with the idea that his brother could change.

Now, if anyone understood determination, it was Rachel. But even she knew that the old Kurt was long gone.

It was a painful truth, but one she had come to accept. He was still her best friend, though. They still talked and went out and had fun times together. But it wasn't like it had been in high school.

After being rivals with both being in love with Finn during their freshman year, they had become inseparable. Both of them had had big dreams of leaving this town and making it in New York. They had both accomplished that. Kurt had gotten into a fashion school and Rachel had gotten into the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. They were so excited when they got their acceptance letters and started making plans. But those plans were crashed after _that_ happened.

Kurt became someone else and decided he'd live alone. He became rather popular and suddenly, he was spending all of his free time partying and hooking up with any willing partner. The rest, as they say, is history. Rachel tried the best she could to control him. To make him see that sleeping around was a terrible thing to do. But he wouldn't listen. At the end, she could just pray that he'd be careful and realize his mistakes some day. But so far that day had not arrived.

After they graduated, Kurt had returned to Lima and Rachel was given a role in Les Mis with a traveling production. She had just finished the tour and decided to come home and be with Finn for a while. Being apart had been difficult but they had pulled through. Unfortunately, they weren't together that much, lately. Finn's work was demanding and besides, he had spent an incredible amount of time visiting gay bars, trying to keep Kurt in line. She didn't mind it, after being in a long distance relationship with Finn all through college and the two years of touring, she knew they could make it through anything.

She just hoped this didn't end in disappointment for her boyfriend.

* * *

><p>"Blaine, are you sure you're okay? What happened yesterday?"<p>

Quinn had been worried about Blaine ever since she saw her best friend leave school with Kurt the day before. When she and Santana had found him in the morning, she had noticed the sad look on his face.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry." He smiled at her but returned his attention to the teacher and his lecture.

Quinn and Santana exchanged looks. Santana moved closer to Blaine and grabbed his face so he could look her in the eyes.

"You tell us what's wrong _right now_." Blaine just sighed. He figured it be good for him to let them know.

"Fine. I got into a fight with my dad today because I stayed out last night. I-I was with Kurt. Before you ask, yes, I slept with him again. And I hate that I did because it just made me like him even more but I'll never see him again so…" He shrugged, avoiding eye contact with his best friends and biting his lip.

Quinn gently put her hand on his and he smiled slightly. Santana was quiet for a few minutes before she spoke up.

"You know what, I thing we need a night out. The three of us and we can go to one of those gay bars at the Gay Zone. Make you meet new people and forget about this guy."

Quinn nodded in agreement.

"That's a great idea! I bet it'll be fun, what do you say, Blaine?"

"I don't know, I mean… What if we run into him?"

"Then we ignore him, simple as that." Santana answered and winked at him.

He considered that for a moment. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea. He needed to get Kurt out of his head.

"Okay, let's do it." He finally said.

Quinn squealed as Santana started talking about fake I.D.'s and plans for seducing the guards at the entrance. Blaine wasn't really paying attention. He just prayed they wouldn't run into Kurt. He knew he wouldn't be able to withstand another encounter with the older boy without falling in love with him.

And Blaine was smart enough to know that it was probably the worst thing to do.

* * *

><p>Quinn and Santana were in awe at the amount of people walking through the streets of <em>GZ<em>. There were lights everywhere and big signs inviting people to enter the different bars. Blaine was talking on the phone with his mom, letting her know he'd go out with Quinn and Santana and that he would not stay out. He wasn't going to give his father reasons to repeat a scene like the one from that morning.

When he hanged up, he approached the girls and Santana gave him his fake I.D. He stared at it and tried not to laugh.

"Are you sure these will work? They don't even look real."

"I know that, why do you think I'm wearing this mini skirt?" She said, modeling her outfit with a triumphant smile.

"San… you _do _realize we are going to a _gay _bar, right? As in, a place full of guys who like other guys. I doubt your seductive plans will work here." Quinn commented as Blaine burst out laughing. Santana frowned and cross her arms, pouting.

"Well, I guess that Blaine will have to strip at the entrance, then." The three of them laughed even harder as they walked through the streets, examining the bars and trying to decide where to try and enter.

They arrived at _Epsilon _and Blaine recognized it and remembered how he saw Kurt and Finn leaving through the back door. He stopped in his tracks and Santana noticed where he was looking. She smiled, the place looked great and she was sure it was filled with handsome guys who would love to dance with her best friend.

"Hey, let's go to _that_ one," she said as she grabbed Blaine's arm and pulled him towards the entrance.

Blaine tried to stop her but Quinn quickly started to drag him also.

"Guys, wait! Not here! _He_ could be in there!" he hissed as they drew closer to the guard at the entrance.

"Yes, or he could be in any of the other bars. C'mon, Blaine! This place looks amazing!" Santana said and Blaine gave up.

The three of them showed their I.D.'s and the guard just eyed them. They smiled and tried to appear calm. Finally, the guard shrugged and let them through. When they got in, their mouths dropped. The place was incredible. It was decorated beautifully, with white seats and black tables at the sides of the dancing floor. It looked elegant, yet fun. The lighting was also great as it made the dance floor look the colors of the rainbow. It was crowded with men dancing to the music of the DJ.

They just stood there, not knowing what to do. Santana spotted the bar and nudged Quinn on the ribs. Quinn noticed and pulled Blaine towards it. When they arrived, Santana asked for beers just for her and Blaine, since Quinn was the designated driver. They took a seat at the stools and started drinking. Blaine felt rather comfortable; there were many handsome guys to look at. He had already forgotten about running into Kurt and was just enjoying himself and his best friends' company.

Suddenly, a guy appeared at the bar. He asked for a drink and turned to look at Blaine, who was oblivious to the attention. Santana and Quinn exchanged excited looks and discretely moved away from their friend.

"Having a good time?" The guy asked Blaine, who whirled around in his seat and realized that the man was talking to _him._

He had blond hair and beautiful blue eyes. He was rather handsome and didn't look older than 21. Blaine blushed and nodded.

"Mind if I buy you a drink?" Blaine's eyes widened. This guy was hitting on him! He cursed himself for being so oblivious to this kind of stuff. But he was flattered and decided to go on with it.

"Y-yeah, sure."

The guy smiled at him and asked for two drinks to the barman. The guy's name was Tom and he was an interesting guy. They talked and laughed and Blaine was actually having a good time.

After a while, Blaine remembered he had brought company. He felt horrible for forgetting about his friends. He looked around, searching frantically for them with his eyes. He found them quickly. Quinn and Santana were talking to each other in a table not far away from where he was. They were trying not to be obvious as they stared at Blaine and his companion but were failing miserably. They kept giggling and whispering to each other.

When they noticed he was staring at them, Quinn gave him a thumbs up and Santana winked at him. Blaine rolled his eyes, smiling, and returned his attention to the handsome man talking to him.

Just as he was starting to get loose, thinking it'd be a nice night, he heard a voice behind him that made him almost drop his drink.

"Well, look who we have here."

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><p><strong>You know what would make me happy? *cough*reviews*cough* :)<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: I was on fire this weekend! I tried to get as much done because finals are creeping in :S wish me luck!**

**Now, chapter 6 got few reviews, I hope it wasn't because it sucked big time because that'd be depressing. So I hope you like this one.**

**Oh, and a big thank you to my dear, dear friend PrincessInTheRain for helping me get out of my first ever writer's block and for encouraging me whenever I felt/feel like my story is not that great. Sweetie, you are marvelous. This chapter goes to you. 3**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Glee... Damn!**

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><p>Kurt had noticed the presence of the three friends since they approached the bar. When he saw Blaine, he felt an electric shock go through his body. He had not forgotten the fact that Blaine had left him to wake up alone the last time they had sex. It was time for revenge.<p>

Puck distracted him from his thoughts when he began to complain for what seemed like the umpteenth time of the night.

"Hey, buddy. I know this place is like, I dunno, paradise for you but this is not right. I need girls, okay? Lots of fun for you and nothing for me. Pucksaurus is not happy."

Kurt rolled his eyes, annoyed. He needed to find a way to distract Finn and Puck to get close to Blaine.

"If this is so uncomfortable for you, for _both_ of you," he said turning to Finn, "then feel free to leave."

Finn punched Puck on the arm and shook his head. "No, dude. We're fine."

Kurt was not dumb. He knew exactly why he was accompanied by his brother and best friend to these kinds of places. But he didn't care. He would get back at the younger boy, no matter what.

He looked back at the bar and this time, he did not like what he saw.

Blaine was no longer accompanied by his two friends. He was now talking to a blond man who seemed very interested in the boy. Kurt felt anger rise in his body. But there was something else. A feeling burning deep inside him that he could not name. He wanted to rip the guy's head off. He convinced himself that it was only because the man was ruining his plans of payback. He would not let him take what he wanted. Blaine was _his_ prey.

While watching the scene that unfolded in front of him, he noticed that Blaine turned around looking for something. When he found what he sought, he sighed with relief and smiled. Kurt realized he was observing his friends. He smiled maliciously and made up a plan in his head.

"Hey, Puck! You said there weren't any girls for you here. Well, tonight's your lucky night because I've just spotted two lonely girls who would _love_ to get some Pucksaurus love."

Puck's eyes lit up and he followed Kurt's gaze until he caught sight of the girls. They made their way towards them, Kurt shifting his strut to the bar. Blaine was about to take a sip of his drink when Kurt said in a casual tone.

"Well, look who we have here."

The younger boy turned around quickly, almost pouring his drink on his lap. His eyes were wide with a mixture of fear and nervousness.

"Shit."

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><p>Quinn and Santana hadn't noticed the encounter between the two boys yet. They were talking to each other when Finn and Puck reached their table.<p>

"Hello, ladies," said Puck in a flirty tone. Both of them lifted their eyes to the guys. Santana raised her eyebrows and smiled. Quinn, on the other hand, frowned and eyed them cautiously.

"Well, hello," answered Santana as she shamelessly eyed him up and down. Finn looked rather uncomfortable and stood behind Puck with his arms crossed and his attention to the dance floor.

Puck asked for their names and Santana quickly gave him hers. Quinn, however, remained silent. He took notice and focused his attention on her, loving the challenge of a woman who played hard to get.

"What's _your_ name, hottie?" Quinn gave him a bored look and didn't answer him.

'_Tough one,' _he thought happily.

But just as he was going to continue his advances on the blond girl, Santana took notice of Kurt talking to Blaine. She nudged Quinn quickly and both of them stood up immediately, not bothering to excuse themselves.

From the corner of his eye, Kurt saw the two girls were getting out of their seats and making their way to where he and Blaine were. Santana stopped next to Blaine and crossed her arms.

"You need something?" she said arching her eyebrow and moving slightly so that she was standing between him and Blaine. Quinn grabbed Blaine's hand and made him stand up. The blond man that had been talking to the boy looked surprised at the second interruption to his chat with Blaine.

Kurt remained calmed and smiled. "Just saying hi to a friend."

"He ain't your friend, sugar. And he doesn't want to talk to you, so beat it."

"Hey, bro, is everything alright?"

Puck and Finn came near with questioning looks on their faces. When Finn saw Blaine, his eyes widened and a rush of emotions came to him. He was excited to see the younger boy again but he was afraid of Kurt's actions. He had a mischievous grin and didn't seem bothered by the presence of the two girls. Finn didn't like this, Kurt had something planned out and it involved Blaine.

He and Puck stood at Kurt's side. This now looked like a battlefield, with Quinn and Santana protecting Blaine and Puck and Finn standing by Kurt. The only one caught between fires seemed to be Tom, the man that had been talking to Blaine.

The tension was palpable and Blaine felt horrible. He knew it had been a bad idea coming to this particular bar. He didn't want to make a scene, especially since they weren't inside that place legally.

Kurt noticed Blaine's discomfort and smiled. He figured he just needed to woo him again and Blaine would make his friends back off.

"Blaine," he said with a husky voice. Blaine made eye contact with him as he continued, "Why don't you come with me? Let's talk somewhere privately. Just you and me."

He was certain Blaine would accept. The kid had a crush on him, after all. But like he had told Kurt before, he was younger, but certainly not dumber.

"No."

Everyone turned to look at Blaine. His voice was firm and he was staring at Kurt with an unreadable expression. Kurt was taken aback but tried his best not to show it. Santana looked proud and gave Kurt a mocking smile.

"I'm sorry, Kurt. But I was talking to Tom over here. And I'd appreciate it if you'd let us be."

Tom, that seemed to have been forgotten until that moment, drew closer to Blaine. He grabbed Tom's arm.

"Wanna dance?" he said, already moving towards the dance floor. The guy wasted no time and grabbed Blaine's waist. They got lost in the sea of dancing men soon enough.

Kurt was infuriated. The turmoil of emotions he had felt when he first saw Blaine talking to the guy at the bar came back. He _hated_ that Blaine made him feel so many things. He hated feelings. But two could play the game.

Santana and Quinn were sort of relieved that the confrontation had ended and that Blaine seemed fairly happy with his hot dance partner.

Finn, however, saw Kurt's face and really got scared. He had never seen Kurt so angry before. Of course, it was nice to see some sort of expression in his brothers' face as he disappeared into the crowded dance floor. He just was worried for Blaine's safety.

When Kurt made his way to the dance floor after Blaine, Santana seized Finn's arm and said,

"C'mon, you are helping me keep your friend in line." Finn had a panicked look on his face and didn't dare to say no. They disappeared into the crowded place, leaving Quinn and Puck alone.

He shifted closer to her and she rolled her eyes.

"Stop right there. I'm not interested. Contrary to the image you have of yourself, you're not that hot and I'm not a whore that's going to make out with you by the bathroom doors. So don't waste time and words because you're not convincing me otherwise."

Puck was flabbergasted. It was the first time he had been rejected before even being able to use his charming and seductive ways.

'_Heck, it's the first time I've been rejected. Ever.' _He thought as she opened up her mouth to speak again.

"And before you ask, the reason why I don't leave you here all by yourself is because my friends have disappeared in the sea of people and when it's time for the three of us to go you're going to help me find them, understood?"

Puck nodded frantically. Now he was hooked. Not only did this girl have a strong character, she was not interested at all. And _that_ made _him_ interested.

"But, can I least ask your name?"

She seemed to truly consider whether or not to tell him her name. At the end, she figured it could do no harm.

"I'm Quinn."

"Quinn, I'm Noah Puckerman. But please, feel free to call me Puck." He winked at her and she rolled her eyes but smiled briefly.

"Now, I promise I won't try anything. I'd actually fear for my life if I did, but can I invite you a drink? You know, while our friends come back."

Quinn seemed reluctant but he was right. They didn't have much to do until Santana and Blaine came back. So she nodded and he led them to the table she had been sitting with Santana before. He asked the waiter for a beer for him and a glass of water for her.

They eyed the dance floor in case their friends initiated any more confrontations. After a while they started talking and laughing, oblivious of the drama that would soon unravel at the club.

* * *

><p>"Sorry about earlier," said Blaine to Tom as loudly as he could so he could be heard over the sound of the blasting music.<p>

"Don't worry about it. Was he your boyfriend or something?"

Blaine laughed humorlessly, "No. Just a guy I slept and stupidly fell in love with. He doesn't want me, though."

Tom searched for Kurt in the crowded dance floor. He found him quite close to where they were and Tom could tell Kurt intended to remain near them.

"I disagree," he said as he noticed the constant glances the other man gave in Blaine's direction.

Kurt acted like he didn't care for the events down at the bar and grabbed the first guy he found, dancing dangerously close. He had his eyes fixed on Blaine, though. When Blaine was whirled around by Tom, Kurt attacked the man he was dancing with, kissing him roughly. Blaine saw that and immediately averted his gaze. He didn't need a reminder of how big of a jerk Kurt was. And how stupid Blaine was for developing feelings for him.

"Wanna get back at him?" Tom suddenly said. Blaine knit his brow in confusion as Tom proceeded, "You know, make him jealous. I'm all for it if that's what you want."

Blaine contemplated the offer. "What do you have in mind?"

"Just follow my lead."

Tom turned to look at Kurt and Blaine did the same. He still was making out passionately with the unknown guy. When oxygen became necessary, they broke apart and Kurt twisted around to watch Blaine's reaction. They locked eyes for a brief instant, before Tom grabbed Blaine's face and kissed him tenderly on the cheek. Blaine's attention focused on the blond man, his eyes wide.

Tom winked at him and Blaine smiled, understanding the game. He took Tom's hand and looked up. Tom pulled him by the waist with his free hand and they were now as close as they were allowed. Blaine didn't know if this would work but he figured he had nothing to lose. They started dancing, almost grinding against each other. Blaine threw his head back and shot a look at Kurt who had stopped dancing and was staring intently at him. He laughed and returned his attention to Tom, snaking his arms behind his neck.

After a few minutes, Blaine felt a strong pull on his arm and was suddenly being dragged through the crowd by a not so happy Kurt. Blaine gave a terrified look to Tom who shrugged and winked at him, trying to reassure him in some way. This was what they had intended, after all, to get Kurt jealous.

They arrived at the hallway that led to the bathrooms and Kurt slammed Blaine against the wall, placing his arms on either side of Blaine's face. He was a bit frightened but tried not to let it show. He was not going to be intimidated by Kurt.

Kurt eyed him briefly before crashing their lips together in a passionate kiss. Blaine's eyes widened but he soon returned the kiss and was about to tangle his hands in Kurt's perfectly combed hair when he realized it was history repeating itself.

He pulled away, both of them panting heavily. Kurt was about to kiss him again when Blaine grabbed him by the shoulders, successfully stopping his advances.

"What… what the _hell?_" He asked breathlessly. His heart was beating so fast, he was sure the entire club could hear it pounding against his chest.

"You were having too much fun with that guy."

Blaine was starting to get angry.

"So you decided to drag me away from him?"

"I want to fuck you again," said Kurt bluntly. Blaine gaped at him, not believing how incredibly selfish this guy was. And unfortunately, Blaine still couldn't find it in himself to hate him.

"W-wh.. No!" He all but stammered. "You can't come to me whenever you want to have sex! I'm not a sex toy!"

"And yet, you seem to _really_ enjoy it every time we do fuck." Kurt smiled. Blaine could tell he was making fun of him. He was getting angrier with each passing second.

"Well, yeah! I enjoyed because I like you! And I don't want to sleep with you again because, even if you're a jerk, I could fall in love with you!"

Kurt stiffened. His entire expression changed and his eyes grew darker. Blaine was taken aback and was, frankly, a little bit scared. Kurt placed his arms against the wall again, caging Blaine.

"_Love?_ You could fall in _love _with me?" he let out a small laugh, "Well, you _are _a silly little brat after all, aren't you?"

Blaine was hurt by that comment but stood his ground. Inside, though, he was frightened. Kurt had a possessed look on his face, like Blaine had woken up a monster living inside him when he mentioned the word 'love'.

"Listen to me. Feelings are stupid. They are useless. Nothing good ever comes from loving people. And you are stupid for believing otherwise." Kurt spat cruelly.

Blaine frowned and he could feel a lump forming in his throat.

"Wake up and stop being such an idiot. What did you expect? You'd confess your true feelings for me and I'd reciprocate them? Sorry to disappoint you. I don't believe in feelings and I certainly _don't _believe in love."

The lump was still there and now tears were threatening to appear. Blaine mustered all his strength to keep them from streaming down his face. He was hurt by Kurt's mean words but he also felt anger rising inside him, giving him the courage he needed to answer back. He swallowed hardly and lifted his gaze to meet Kurt's.

"I'd rather love and _feel_ and get hurt by it than shutting myself from the rest of the world. At least I'm trying. At least I'm giving myself the chance to be _happy. _If that's stupid then yes, I'mstupid. But I don't care. And… and I feel sorry for you, because you're destined to live a miserable life if you continue doing this. You think going through life without feelings is better? Well, I think it's _sad._ I may be a silly brat but you're just _pathetic_. I would rather suffer for love all my life than being numb like you are."

Kurt was frowning and staring directly into Blaine's teary eyes with an unreadable look in his eyes. Blaine was breathing heavily after saying all those things. The intensity of Kurt's gaze was becoming unbearable. He turned around and left quickly as the tears he'd been trying to keep came down his face.

He walked through the dance floor, avoiding the dancing couples and drunken men trying to make advances at him. He spotted Santana with Finn and almost ran towards them. Santana saw him and realized he was crying. She felt her blood boiling with rage. When he arrived to where they were, she was seeing red.

"Where the hell is that asshole? Let me find him! I'm gonna kick his ass! Bastard!"

Blaine just tugged at her arm, begging her with his eyes to just get out of that place. She frowned and turned to say to Finn:

"You tell your friend that if I ever see him again, I'll fucking _kill _him."

Finn just closed his eyes and shook his head. He knew there was no way this would end up nicely. Santana and Blaine disappeared through the crowd and Finn was left alone on the dance floor, trying to find his brother.

He caught sight of Kurt, who hadn't moved since Blaine left. He was staring into space and still had a frown on his face. Finn sighed. He was tired and annoyed, not to mention slightly angry at whatever Kurt did or said to hurt Blaine. He had to admit, the kid had grown on him.

Finn made his way towards him and asked him to leave. Kurt just nodded absentmindedly and both of them set out to find Puck.

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><p>Quinn was actually having a good time talking to the guy with the Mohawk. They were as different as two people could be but seemed to get along just fine. The conversation was interrupted, unfortunately, when Santana and Blaine passed by. Santana turned around and yelled.<p>

"Quinn, let's go. NOW."

Quinn was out of her seat in a heartbeat. She turned to see Puck who looked as surprised as she was.

"I-I'm sorry, I have to go."

"Wait!" He grabbed her arm, "Can I.. Could you give me your number? I-I'd love to talk to you again."

'_Shit, why am I so nervous?'_ He thought to himself as he waited for her answer.

She quickly took out a pen from her purse. '_How convenient' _Puck thought, smiling, as she grabbed a napkin from the table and scribbled her number. She tossed it to him and ran to catch up with her friends.

He saved the napkin on his wallet just as Kurt and Finn appeared, telling him they were leaving. He smiled as he and Finn spoke at the same time.

"This was the _best _night of my life."

"This was the _worst_ night of my life."

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><p>Quinn, Santana and Blaine made it out of the bar. Blaine had stopped crying and was now deadly silent. Quinn and Santana kept exchanging worried looks. When they got to the car, Quinn hopped into the driver's seat while Santana opened the other door and Blaine got in the back. Ten minutes later, Puck, Kurt and Finn also got out and reached their car.<p>

Both car rides where silent, with Kurt and Blaine deep in thoughts of one another.

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><p><strong>Please, please review. Even if it sucks, review. You guys keep this story alive with your comments and feedback! :)<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: A special thank you to the always awesome Chazzam for helping me with information about schools.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee. It belongs to Ryan Murphy and Fox, who keep ruining my life with these hiatuses.**

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><p>It'd been three weeks since the incident at <em>Epsilon <em>and Kurt had spent a good amount of that time thinking about the words exchanged during his fight with Blaine. He hated to admit it, but Blaine's words had stung and also, he wasn't too proud of the way he had handled Blaine's love confession. He knew he had hurt the kid.

But what bothered him the most was that he actually _cared_ that he had hurt him. This was bad. Kurt could not allow himself to feel that way about anyone.

His mind was a mess and whenever that happened, he knew there was only one person to call. He reached for his phone and dialed the number on speed dial.

"Kurt? Hi! What's up?" answered the cheerful voice of Rachel Berry.

"Hi, Rach. Nothing much. Just wondering what you've been up to. And uh, I wanted to ask you… You think we could meet up today?"

Rachel raised her eyebrows in surprise. It wasn't often that Kurt asked Rachel to meet. It was usually her that initiated and scheduled their meetings.

"Sure. Uh… want me to come to your office?" she said as she waved frantically at Finn, trying to get his attention without giving herself away on the phone. He looked at her and mouthed "what?" as he neared her.

She covered the phone and whispered, "Kurt wants me to see him today." Finn's eyes widened as she heard Kurt respond.

"Yeah, come over. My lunch break is at 2 so we can go get something to eat," he checked his watch. He needed to hurry if he wanted to be done by then.

"Great! See you then."

They hanged up and Kurt got back to work. Miles from where he was, Finn and Rachel stared at each other, wondering what could possibly be bothering Kurt that he needed to discuss with his best friend.

Finn's little thread of hope reappeared. He trusted that whatever it was, it involved a certain teenager. He didn't say anything, though. He was tired of everyone telling him he was crazy for believing a kid could change his brother.

Rachel was having similar thoughts as she got ready to visit her best friend.

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><p>She arrived just in time to Kurt's office. She entered the building and greeted the secretary who told her that Kurt was already waiting for her and would come down quickly. She thanked her and waited for her best friend to arrive.<p>

Not five minutes had passed when the elevator's doors opened revealing her best friend. They hugged and got out to look for a nice place to eat.

They settled for a small restaurant near Kurt's office, since he didn't have much time to spare. Once their drinks were served, Rachel couldn't take it anymore and decided to go straight to the point.

"So, what's bothering you so much that you needed to see me for some much needed 'girls talk'?"

Kurt sipped his drink and stared at her. He was struggling to bring the subject up because it'd been years since their last conversation of these sorts. He placed his drink on the table, cleared his throat and started to talk.

"I want to talk to you about… a guy. About Blaine."

Rachel almost choked on her drink at those words and started coughing loudly. Kurt had mentioned Blaine in a conversation back when the two boys had just met. He had called her to complain about waking up alone after he had slept with Blaine. Of course, Finn had filled her in better than her best friend and she quite liked the boy. She still didn't want to believe that he could be the solution to Kurt's problems because she could not deal with the disappointment. But she could tell the kid was worth it.

When she had regained control of herself, she answered and tried to use a casual tone.

"Blaine? Whoa. Okay, uh, I…" She laughed nervously, "I'm sorry, Kurt. It's been ages since we've talked boys, I just… I don't know what to say."

Kurt noticed the hopeful spark on her eyes and immediately said, "It's not like that."

Rachel sighed in defeat and said a bit harshly, "Then what's this about?"

"I said some mean things to him, things I shouldn't have and I feel sorry for that."

It took all of Rachel's strength not to let her jaw drop to the floor. She raised her eyebrow gently as if urging him to continue, but Kurt took another sip from his drink with his eyes focused on the table in front of him.

Rachel kept her poker face as she waited for him to proceed, but her mind was working at super speed trying to understand Kurt's words.

'_He felt bad for some things he said? He regrets hurting him? Does he care if the kid gets hurt? Oh my god, Finn may be right. We could have old Kurt back.'_

Her internal flailing was cut short as Kurt started talking again, "Yes, well… I was out of line and I don't like it. So, what should I do?"

"Uh… An apology seems like a nice way to start." He gave her his best 'bitch, please' face and rolled his eyes.

"I know that. What I meant is that I haven't seen him in over three weeks."

"Oh… well then go find him."

"You make it sound so easy bu-"

"It is easy," said Rachel, interrupting him, "Kurt, don't run away from this. If you felt bad about hurting his feelings, find him. Apologize. He seems to be worthy of it, especially since you seem to care for him."

Kurt's eyes darkened. "I do _not_ care for him, Rachel."

Rachel rolled her eyes and answered him in an angry tone, "Right. You don't care, I forgot. Cause you don't care about anyone. You know what? Fine, you've told me what your problem was and I've advised you. Now, let's change the subject, since this conversation is now pointless."

The uncomfortable silence settled between them. The waiter arrived with their plates and they started eating. At last, Rachel sighed and started telling him some tour anecdotes. He was serious at first, but then gave in and they started having an amiable conversation again. But Kurt's mind was still focused on Rachel's words.

He knew she was right and the only thing to do was finding Blaine and apologizing to him.

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><p>It was a lovely Sunday morning, the birds were chirping and the sunlight came through the Anderson house, bringing it to life. Blaine sat alone in his room, working on some sketches. He'd been rather busy the past couple of weeks, juggling his schoolwork and his drawing classes outside school. He had even refrained from going out so he could spend his weekends —like this one— drawing.<p>

Blaine's lifelong dream had been to attend a prestigious art school. He had made up his mind and wanted to be accepted at Parsons. With him being a senior now, he needed to start his admission process and practice as much as he could to put together his portfolio.

He suddenly stopped when he realized what he'd been sketching. He grunted and ripped the paper off his sketchbook, crumpling it and throwing it across the room. He was getting frustrated. Lately, everything he drew ended up reminding him of Kurt in some way. He had several sketches of the boy's face hidden among his other drawings. He hated not being able to get him out of his head.

Even if Kurt had been horrible to him the last time they had seen each other, Blaine was still in love with him. But he knew that wasn't important anymore, Kurt would never want him as anything more than a potential sex toy. And that was something Blaine would not settle for.

He focused his attention on his sketchbook again and pushed every thought about Kurt aside. His dream came first.

And not even Kurt Hummel would make him lose sight of it.

He opened up the curtains and stared outside the window. The leaves were falling down and he could see two boys playing in the street. He smiled. Autumn was coming to an end and the weather was chilly. He loved this time of the year, when winter was just around the corner. He took his pencil and began to draw the scenery outside his window.

After a few hours of intense sketching, he turned to look at the time. It was 4 o'clock and he was getting hungry. He got up and went to the kitchen to make himself a sandwich. His mother was passing through when she saw that Blaine had not even bothered to clean up his room before setting to work. She sighed but smiled proudly as she noticed the drawing on his desk. He was currently working on a new landscape. Next to it, was the drawing he had done previously, the one of the kids playing outside and the leaves falling down.

She made his bed and picked his dirty clothes from the floor. As she got down to pick one of his shirts, she noticed the crumpled paper that seemed to have a drawing in it. She frowned in confusion. It was extremely rare for Blaine to toss aside a sketch. Even if he didn't like it, he'd keep it to work on his errors.

She picked it up and her eyes widened. It was a drawing of a handsome boy sleeping. He was naked; his limbs tangled in the sheets, and seemed to be having a pleasant dream. She stared at it, unsure of how to react. She heard Blaine coming up the stairs and she quickly hid the drawing in the clothes she was carrying. When he entered his room he stopped at the sight of his mom.

"Mom, are you okay?" he asked when he saw her expression. She seemed like a deer caught in the headlights.

"I… Yes. I just thought I'd help you clean up a bit. Don't mind me, continue with your work," she smiled at him and got out of his room.

He shrugged and went back to his desk. His mom stood outside, clutching the clothes in her hands. Then, she slowly got the paper out and looked at it one more time. She knew perfectly well what this meant and she didn't know what to do.

She closed her eyes tightly and took a deep breath.

* * *

><p>The following morning, Blaine got early to school as he usually did and sat near the entrance to wait for his best friends. Quinn arrived first and sneaked up behind him, covering his eyes. Her laugh gave her away as Blaine pulled her hands away and turned to look at her. She seemed happier these days, Blaine noticed as she took a seat next to him.<p>

"What are you drawing today?" she asked him as she scooted closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Nothing, I just got here," he said as they stared at the people arriving.

Some jocks waved at Blaine and he waved back. One of them winked at him as he turned his head to point at Quinn. He rolled his eyes. Since he hadn't come out to anyone but Quinn and Santana, many people at school thought he was dating Quinn.

Blaine didn't fall into the "gay stereotype". He wasn't really into fashion, although he liked to dress nicely. He loved football and was invited on several occasions to join the team. He had refused the offer but remained on friendly terms with the team. He wasn't too popular either, but he was really nice and kind so many people liked him. He just wasn't so sure if they'd still like him if he ever came out to them.

A few minutes later, Santana showed up.

"I'm sorry, guys. I have to go, Cheerios practice." The other two nodded understandingly.

Santana was the captain of the cheerleading squad and now that the season was starting, she had less time to hang out. Neither of them minded it since they were both busy as well with their respective college plans.

"But, hey! We should grab a bite after school! I'll meet you guys here and we'll find a nice place to eat, okay?"

She was already walking towards the entrance as she said it and didn't even bother to wait for their responses. Blaine just laughed and turned to look at Quinn who only shrugged and smiled at him.

"I think we'll have to accept the offer," she said as they made their way inside the building.

Later that day, the three friends were walking around town, trying to decide where they would eat.

"We should have just gone to Breadsticks," said Santana, sounding like an annoyed five year old.

"That's what _I _suggested but you said we should try something new," Quinn responded.

"Hey, guys. That place looks nice." Blaine was pointing at a small diner at the corner of the street.

The girls shrugged and they made their way to the door. When they entered, Blaine smiled as he realized the entire place was covered with LGBT flags.

"Interesting decoration," said Quinn, smiling as well as they looked for an empty table.

They found a booth and sat down. As soon as they were settled, a woman came near them. She had short brownish hair and a gentle smile.

"Hello," she said as she handed them the menu, "I've never seen you guys here before."

"Uh, yeah. We just found this place," Blaine said as he started eyeing the menu. She smiled kindly and said.

"Well, welcome. When you're ready to order, call me." They thanked her and she made her way to the other tables.

"This place is cozy," said Quinn as she looked around. Everyone seemed to know one another, making the place look like a home rather than a restaurant.

Santana also examine the place with her eyes and said, "Yeah, I like it. Nice call, Blaine."

Blaine smiled. "Are you ready to order?"

Both of them nodded and he waved at the waitress. She scribbled down their orders and once she was gone, they started talking.

"Okay, first things first. Quinn, how are things going with Mr. Mohawk?" Santana asked as she turned to look at Quinn.

She blushed but tried to use a casual tone. "There's nothing going on."

"Oh, come on! He texts you, like, everyday."

"Yes, but that doesn't mean I always text back." Santana gaped at her.

"You have this super hot dude after you and you're playing hard to get? Have I taught you nothing?"

Blaine laughed and Quinn gave Santana an annoyed look.

"Actually, I think you've taught me _enough_," she said as their plates arrived. Santana rolled her eyes and pretended to look offended. They started eating and it was Blaine's turn to ask.

"But don't you like him?"

"He's not… that bad. It's just… I have a feeling he just wants to sleep with me, you know? Like I'm the missing piece on his trophy collection."

"Oh, Quinn… I'm sure that's not it. I bet he's madly in love with you," Blaine said as he grabbed her hand across the table. She met his eyes and smiled slightly. Santana nudged her in the ribs and winked at her, making her laugh.

Blaine stared at the two girls sitting in front of him and smiled fondly. They turned to look at him and Santana said, "And what about you?"

Blaine shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He had tried to hide his disappointment and heartbreak over what had happened in the bar but he knew they had noticed. He shrugged and took a sip of his drink.

"I haven't seen him and doubt I ever will again, so I'm good."

But it seemed as if the universe hated him, for just as he was finishing that sentence, the door opened and in came none other than Kurt Hummel. Quinn and Santana noticed him first and visibly stiffened. Quinn grew pale and Santana seemed like ready to murder someone.

"Guys… wha-"

"Kurt, honey!" they heard the owner of the diner say cheerfully. Blaine tensed up and closed his eyes.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," he breathed as he slowly turned around. Sure enough, Kurt Hummel was hugging the lady across the counter.

Blaine's heart started thumping quickly and his hands were shaking. He whirled around and took a deep breath. Quinn grabbed his hand and whispered to him, "Act like you haven't seen him. I don't think _he's _seen_ us._"

He nodded and grabbed his fork again, eating slowly and trying to calm himself.

Kurt sat down at the counter as his step-mom continued to tend to her customers. He glanced around and his eyes came to a sudden stop when he noticed the booth where the three friends were eating. He frowned, debating on whether to approach them or leave them be. He hadn't forgotten Rachel's words. It really was just a simple apology.

He mustered enough courage and made his way to the table. Santana was the first one to notice and immediately picked her fork as a form of threat.

"Come any closer and I'll insert this on your pretty face," she said, making Kurt stop and raise his eyebrows in a mixture of confusion and surprise. Quinn's eyes widened and she grabbed her hand, taking the fork away from her.

"Santana!" she hissed, embarrassed.

Blaine just raised a hand and both turned to look at him. "It's okay."

He whirled around so he could face Kurt. When their eyes met, a shock went through Kurt's body. Those hazel eyes had an effect on him. He noticed Blaine was waiting for him to talk, so he cleared his throat and asked.

"Can we talk?" Blaine took a deep breath and nodded as he got out of his seat. Blaine lead the way and Kurt just kept staring at him from behind, trying to figure out what the younger boy was thinking.

When they got outside, Blaine turned around and crossed his arms.

"What do you want to talk about? And I swear, you say you want to fuck me one more time and it'll be _me _who stabs you with a fork."

Kurt laughed humorlessly and shook his head. "You really are an interesting one, Blaine Anderson."

He sighed and continued, "No, I'm not going to say that. I… I want to apologize."

Blaine's eyes widened and he opened his mouth, inhaling sharply.

"You what?"

"What you heard."

Blaine was pleasantly surprised. Of course, he hadn't expected Kurt to admit to having feelings for him but he also hadn't expected an apology.

"Does that mean that you… like me?"

"Don't get ahead of yourself."

Blaine sighed in defeat. This was obviously too good to be true.

"So you still think I'm a stupid brat. Gee… thanks."

"Hey, I still believe in every word I said. I'm just sorry for the way I said it. I shouldn't have called you stupid. I'm sorry. You have every right to believe whatever you want, even if I don't agree."

Blaine thought about it for a moment. He knew it was the best he would be able to get from Kurt so he decided to accept the apology.

"Okay. Uh, I forgive you, I guess." Blaine shrugged and turned to return to the diner. Kurt grabbed his arm.

"Wait."

Blaine stared at the hand holding him and met Kurt's eyes.

Kurt cleared his throat and said, "Look, you seem like a nice kid. You're interesting and I'd like to get to know you better."

"I'm still not sleeping with you."

Kurt laughed loudly.

"I don't expect you to."

"So, what now?" Blaine asked.

Kurt smiled and took his hand out his pocket stretching it out to Blaine.

"Friends?" he said. Blaine stared at him, trying to figure out what Kurt was thinking. He knew it was a bad idea. But he also wanted to get to know Kurt. He was obsessed with knowing what had happened in the past to make him like that. And, even if it was a conceited idea, he wanted to prove Kurt wrong. Love was not stupid.

He looked down and stared at his hand for a few seconds as all these thoughts rushed through his head. At last, he also stretched his hand and took Kurt's.

"Friends," he finally answered.

They got back inside and Blaine asked him, "So, you know the owner?"

"Yeah, she's my step-mom," he said and Blaine raised her eyebrows.

Quinn and Santana approached them, giving Kurt a wary look. Blaine smiled at them reassuringly and whispered to Quinn, "It's okay."

Quinn gave him a curious look but didn't say anything. Blaine turned to look at Kurt.

"So… I guess I should introduce you guys properly. These are Quinn and Santana, my best friends. And well, this is Kurt." Quinn attempted to smile and Blaine appreciated the effort. Santana, on the other hand, was scowling at him.

The tension was palpable and no one knew exactly what to say. To everyone's relief, Kurt's step mom approached them.

"Kurt, you know these kids?" She smiled her warm smile at them once more as she grabbed Kurt's arm.

"Yes. Carole, this is Blaine, a… well a sort of friend of mine. And these are _his_ friends, Quinn and Santana. This is my mom, Carole."

"Nice to meet you all! I hope you now come here more often." Blaine smiled at her and nodded.

Quinn whispered in his ear that it was time to go. They said their goodbyes and made their way to the door. Before stepping out, Blaine turned to smile at Kurt who smiled back.

Once outside, Blaine was attacked by his friends' questions.

"What the hell was that?" said Santana loudly.

"He apologized to me and we're now friends."

"Friends my ass! He wants you on his bed again."

"Even if he does, I won't oblige. I'm not that stupid, San." Quinn nodded approvingly and Santana just rolled her eyes.

* * *

><p>When Blaine got home, he noticed his mom wasn't in the kitchen or the living room.<p>

'_She must be taking a nap,'_ he thought to himself as he walked up the stairs.

When he arrived at his room, he found his mother sitting on the edge of the bed. She had something in her hands and when Blaine saw what it was, his blood turned cold. His mom looked up, holding every drawing he'd ever made of Kurt and asked quietly.

"Blaine, what are these?"

His eyes started to fill with tears and he knew his voice would crack if he attempted to speak. So he didn't say anything.

"Blaine, are you gay?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry it took so long! :( I've been so busy! But I hope you guys liked it!<strong>

**And please, review!**


	9. Chapter 9

_When Blaine got home, he noticed his mom wasn't in the kitchen or the living room._

'_She must be taking a nap,' he thought to himself as he walked up the stairs. _

_When he arrived at his room, he found his mother sitting on the edge of the bed. She had something in her hands and when Blaine saw what it was, his blood turned cold. His mom looked up, holding every drawing he'd ever made of Kurt and asked quietly._

"_Blaine, what are these?"_

_His eyes started to fill with tears and he knew his voice would crack if he attempted to speak. So he didn't say anything._

"_Blaine, are you gay?"_

* * *

><p>Fear flooded through Blaine's body. He was paralyzed as his mother waited for his answer. His heart was beating impossibly fast. He knew there was no way he could deny it; there was no turning back.<p>

He sighed and when he closed his eyes, a small tear escaped them. After a few seconds, he opened them and met his mother's eyes.

"Yes."

His mom took a deep breath and gently nodded as she lowered her head to see the drawings once more.

"How long have you known?" she asked and her voice was barely above a whisper. She placed the drawings on the side of the bed.

"I-I… since freshman year," Blaine was also whispering. He didn't trust his voice for he knew if he were to speak louder he'd break down.

His mom nodded once more and licked her lips hesitantly before speaking again.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Be-because I… I'm…" He cleared his throat, trying to find the words to answer.

"Because I was scared you wouldn't love me anymore," his voice cracked at that last part as more tears fell.

He saw his mother standing up and walking towards him. He raised his head in time for her to grab it between her hands, forcing him to meet her eyes.

"Blaine Anderson, nothing, listen to me, _nothing_ is ever going to make me stop loving you."

Blaine closed his eyes and sobbed, relief flooding through him as he heard his mom's words. He placed his hands above hers.

"Being gay doesn't matter, honey. It doesn't change the wonderful person that you are. And there's nothing wrong with it. I just wish you would have told me sooner. And I feel like I've failed you."

When she said that, Blaine's eyes darted upward as he shook his head frantically.

"Wh-what? No! Why would you say that?"

"Because you seemed to think that I'd stop loving you for being who you are. That means I did something wrong. Because if there is one thing you should always, _always_ know Blaine, is that I love you, no matter what."

He lunged forward and hugged his mom tightly as more tears came down his face. She held him and gently stroked his hair, soothing him. They stayed like that for a while and, when Blaine had calmed down, they pulled apart and his mom wiped away his tears with her thumbs. He smiled briefly at her and felt infinitely lighter. This had been a burden he'd had to carry ever since he had come to terms with his sexuality. The possibility of losing his mom's love was devastating but having her react this way and accept him was a blessing.

She turned around and grabbed the drawings from the bed. As she handed them over to Blaine, she said:

"These are amazing, Blaine. He's beautiful."

Blaine took them and blushed slightly. A small smile tugged at his lips.

"Thank you, mom. Just… thank you," he said as his mom placed a soft and caring hand on his cheek. He leaned into the touch and closed his eyes.

"Don't thank me, honey. I just need you to promise me that you'll come to me whenever you want to talk. About anything, okay? _Anything at all."_

"I will, I promise."

She turned to leave the room and Blaine focused his attention at the drawings in his hands. He frowned and thought about Kurt. He wanted to let his mother know about him, or at least the basics. He'd been dying to gush about him and hear whatever tips his mom could give him. He just thought he'd never get to do that, since he didn't intend on coming out for fear of rejection.

Now that it was all water under the bridge and he could now be himself around her, he decided he wanted to tell her all his worries and fears.

Just as his mom was stepping outside of his room, he spoke up again.

"Mom…"

She turned around to look at him.

"Yes?"

"Could I take up that offer for a talk?"

Her eyes widened as she smiled broadly. Suddenly, she flew back and hopped into his bed, resembling a five year old. He laughed and stared at her, completely baffled. She noticed his confused expression and explained.

"I planned to give you some time before bombarding you with questions but since you want to talk…" She shifted on the bed until she was comfortable, "Tell me, who's that boy? Come, sit! Tell me _everything_."

Blaine laughed again and went to lay down with his mom. They began talking and Blaine decided to leave the specifics aside. His mom didn't have to know that Kurt was, well, not into relationships, to put it lightly. Nor did she have to know that he had lost his virginity to him. She could live without those details. So he just told her how they met, how Kurt was a bit (a lot, actually) skeptical to love and how Blaine was falling in love with him but decided to just be friends.

They talked for a long time and his mom advised him while he listened intently. They laughed until their stomachs hurt and when everything was said, his mom walked out of his room. She gave him an affectionate smile and bid him goodnight. As he got ready to get to bed, he smiled, satisfied. He felt so much better now that his mom knew about Kurt.

But he was not completely carefree for another problem kept invading his thoughts.

'_How am I going to tell my dad?'_

* * *

><p>It had been a few weeks since Kurt and Blaine had settled for being friends and Blaine had come out to his mom. Kurt had truly meant it when he said he wanted to get to know Blaine. The boy was intriguing and always reacted differently to what Kurt expected.<p>

So, the boys kept in touch. It had been difficult at first, since they didn't have each other's number. Kurt had embarrassed himself by asking Puck to make Quinn send him Blaine's number. It had been pathetic but Kurt refused to look for Blaine in case the younger boy took it the wrong way. But at the end, he got what he wanted and the boys started texting each other.

It had started out as a few texts during the week -mostly to catch up- but it had soon escalated into long conversations throughout the day.

They were currently talking about their plans for Thanksgiving, when Kurt's dad interrupted him.

"Hey, kiddo."

"Unbelievable," said Kurt, his eyes never leaving the phone screen, "24 years old and you still call me 'kiddo'."

"Old habits die hard. Now listen, Carole wants me to go buy some things for tomorrow's dinner. Care to join me?"

Kurt shrugged and got up. He glanced down quickly to send his last text and put away his phone.

"Still talking to that Blaine kid?" asked his father as they headed for the door.

"Yeah," Kurt responded indifferently. His dad gave him a lopsided smile but didn't say anything.

Burt Hummel was a realistic man. He wasn't the type of person that held onto silly dreams and hopes. That was why he had lost hope of getting his old Kurt back. When Finn had come to him, saying that a boy -_a boy_- was what would make Kurt change, he had brushed it off.

But after these past weeks, he couldn't help but think that maybe his stepson had nailed it this time. Every time Kurt's phone rang, his face would brighten. Nobody commented on it, for all of them knew how delicate the situation was. One poorly worded comment and Kurt would most assuredly push Blaine away.

Still, Burt wanted to bring up the subject. So, as they walked to the grocery store, he glanced at Kurt and asked casually.

"So, what were you two talking about?"

"Hmm? Oh, nothing important. Just our plans for Thanksgiving."

"Oh, he's spending it with his family, I take it."

Kurt hummed and nodded in response. Just as they stepped into the grocery store, Burt had an amazing idea.

"Hey, why don't you invite him over tonight?"

Kurt turned to look at him with a confused expression on his face.

"Why?" he asked warily.

"Well, he's your friend and I'd like to meet him. I'd say invite him over tomorrow but you just said he'll be with his folks."

Kurt pondered on the proposal. It wouldn't hurt to see the curly haired boy, would it? He got his phone out of his coat and began writing the message.

"Okay, I'll ask him."

Burt's eyes widened and he nodded in agreement. He'd finally meet the Wonder Boy and judge for himself if he really could make Kurt see the light.

This was going to be interesting.

* * *

><p>Blaine's phone rang, snapping him out of his drawing trance. He grabbed it and couldn't suppress the smile that appeared on his face as he saw who the sender was. He pressed the button that revealed the message and his heart skipped a beat when he read the content.<p>

_Got any plans for tonight? Wanna come over? We're having a little feast at the diner. You know, early Thanksgiving dinner ;)_

_-K_

Kurt wanted him to have dinner with his family? He suddenly felt incredibly nervous. He knew he shouldn't make much of it but it still seemed an important thing. Just as he was starting to panic, his phone rang again.

_You can bring Quinn with you, if you want. Don't bring Santana, she scares me._

_-K_

He sighed, both in relief and disappointment. That meant it really wasn't a big deal. Still, he really wanted to see Kurt, so he decided to take the offer.

_Sure, I'd love to. I'll ask Quinn and let you know :) _

_-B_

Then, he texted Quinn and asked her to go with him. She agreed and he told her he'd pick her up at her place in a few hours. When they hanged up, he rubbed his face in his hands and got out of his chair. He went downstairs, looking for his mom. He found her leaning on the kitchen counter and scribbling in a piece of paper what she was missing for tomorrow's dinner.

"Mom?"

She glanced up to look at him. "Yes?"

"Eh… Can I go out tonight? I promise I'll be home early."

"Where are you going?" she asked as she returned her attention to the list of things she was writing.

"I.. I'm going to see Kurt. B-but I'm going with Quinn too, so it isn't that big of a deal. It's just dinner and he just texted me and well I-"

His mom's laughter interrupted his rambling. He looked down sheepishly as his mom walked towards him.

"I want you home by 11. And I expect a full account tomorrow on everything that went down tonight or I will be forced to tickle you to death. You've been warned."

Blaine laughed and promised to let her know everything when he returned. He went upstairs to change his clothes. He didn't want to look too formal so he settled for a long sleeved white shirt with a brown vest on top of it and worn out jeans. He combed his hair in his usual gelled style and looked at himself in the mirror. Once he approved his own outfit, he went to grab his coat and got out of the house.

Twenty minutes later, he was in front of Quinn's house. She got out and made her way to his car. She looked incredibly beautiful, her white skin contrasting with the black coat she was wearing. He stepped out of his car to open up her door. Once they were both inside the car, they started talking and mentally preparing themselves, for Quinn was sure Puck would also be at the reunion.

She still wasn't giving in but Blaine was certain she also had a thing for the boy with the Mohawk. He smiled to himself. Today was going to be a good night, he could feel it.

* * *

><p>Kurt was helping Carole in the kitchen when they heard the door bells, indicating that someone had entered the diner.<p>

"HOLY SHIT!" they heard Puck scream and Kurt understood that it meant that Blaine and Quinn had arrived.

He felt his stomach drop but brushed it off. Finn walked into the kitchen with a small smile on his lips.

"Hey, dude, Blaine's here."

Kurt got out after Finn and saw that Puck was attempting to talk to Quinn who was suppressing her laughter as she saw the bowy in front of her struggle for words. Blaine was looking at them with a smirk and when he sensed their presence, he turned to look at Kurt and Finn.

He smiled at Kurt and waved at him.

"Hi!" he said cheerfully. Kurt smiled back and went to greet him properly. All of a sudden, his parents were near him expecting to be introduced. He rolled his eyes and turned to look at Blaine.

"Blaine, you know my mom. This is my dad, Burt Hummel. Dad, this is Blaine."

"Nice to meet you, sir. Thank you for having us." Blaine gave a dashing smile and Burt couldn't help but like the kid.

"Not a problem, kid. We're glad you're here and we finally get to meet you," answered Burt as they shook hands.

After a while, everyone was chatting pleasantly, creating a wonderful atmosphere. Kurt's dad was incredible and caring. His stepmom was incredibly sweet and reminded him of his own mother. He could tell Quinn was also having a good time talking to Puck, who looked completely mesmerized. Finn and Rachel were setting everything on the joined tables in the middle of the diner and he and Kurt were sitting on a booth, talking about random stuff.

Kurt kept laughing at Blaine's comments. He had rested his elbow on the seat and his hand was gently stroking the curls on Blaine's head, freeing them from their gelled prison. Blaine tried very hard not to pay attention to the gesture but he was feeling flustered. Kurt wasn't really making a move ̶ one could even say he was doing unconsciously ̶ but that didn't stop Blaine's heart from speeding up.

Once dinner was ready, they all took seats and dove into the delicious meal. They all laughed and talked at the same time and Blaine suddenly was hit with a feeling of belonging. It felt like he had known these people all his life. He turned to look at Kurt who was seating beside him and was admonishing his father for eating more calories than he should. Burt was just laughing at Kurt's annoyed expression. Blaine smiled fondly and realized he truly loved Kurt. Even if the older boy didn't feel the same way for him, he was glad to be a part of his life. It had allowed him to be there tonight, surrounded by such wonderful people.

Blaine had had a feeling it would be a great evening.

He was right.

* * *

><p>The next day, Blaine woke up early and decided to go to the park. Every now and then, he'd like to go sit on a bench and draw whatever scene was unfolding before him. Today just felt like the type of day to do exactly that. He left a note to his parents and left the house.<p>

He found an empty bench and sat but instead of setting up his sketchbook, he began reminiscing on the events of the night before. He had spent a wonderful time with Kurt's family and friends. He had been blown away by the warmth and love that enveloped the boy he was in love with. That just made him even more curious. What could have possibly happened to Kurt to make him like this if he was surrounded by such loving parents, a supportive brother and amazing friends? Something didn't add up and he was more determined than ever to find out the truth.

He didn't know how long he stayed there, thinking of ways to bring up the subject to Kurt, but when he snapped out of his train of thought, he realized that the park was filling with people. It was getting too noisy, so he decided to return home.

When he got inside the house, his parents were in the kitchen beginning the preparations for Thanksgiving. His mom met his eyes and winked at him as a mischievous smile appeared on her face. He remembered his promise of telling her everything but he couldn't do it with his father in the room. He still hadn't figured out how he was going to tell him. Besides, they still weren't on the best terms after their last fight.

He went up to his room and got into the shower. After that, he started getting ready. He got some homework done and when he caught a glimpse of the clock, he realized it was almost six o'clock. Time had flown that day and just as he was about to get out of his room, his mom opened the door.

"I put your dad in charge of the turkey so I could come up. Hurry up and tell me all about last night."

Blaine's dad stood in the kitchen, waiting for the turkey to be ready when he started thinking about the last few weeks. He and Blaine had had a tough time. They used to get along just fine but lately, all they ever did was fight.

He made up his mind and went upstairs to apologize to his son. But when he got to the door, he heard him and his mom talking and froze on the spot.

"… he was awesome. We talked all evening. God, mom… I really am in love with him."

His hand shook as he reached for the knob. He pushed the door open and entered.

"What?"

Both of them jumped in surprise with startled looks on their faces. Blaine looked absolutely terrified.

"What did you say?"

"Dad… I…"

"What. did. you. say?"

"Harold, please… listen…"

"Are you gay, Blaine?"

Blaine was hit by the feeling of déjà vu and he didn't like it. He suspected this time it wouldn't run as smoothly. His heartbeat was erratic and he felt panic creeping in. He couldn't even answer the question.

"Are you? HUH? Are you a fag?" his father's voice kept rising.

"Harold, don't you dare call him that!"

"ANSWER ME, BLAINE!"

"Yes, dad… b-but wait! Let me explain!"

His dad's face appeared to have turned into stone.

"You have nothing to explain, I won't waste my time listening to you."

"Harold!"

"I-I… Dad…"

"I did not spend my life raising you to become a queer!"

Blaine didn't know what to do. He couldn't believe his own father would say those things to him. He tried to say something, but his throat was dry and his eyes were watering.

"DON'T CALL HIM THAT!"

"SHUT UP, KATE!"

His father turned to look at him.

"Get out."

Blaine's eyes widened.

"What?"

"You heard me. No son of mine will turn into a queer."

Before his mom could come to his defense again, Blaine spoke up.

"I am gay but I'm not going to let you insult me for it."

"Shut up and get out."

His mother stepped between them.

"He is not going anywhere. He's your son, Harold!"

"There's no way he is my son if he decides to choose that _disgusting_ lifestyle."

Anger crept into Blaine's body at that phrase and he fired back.

"You think I chose this? You think I woke up one day and said 'Hey, you know what? I should be gay!'? Are you that stupid?"

"Do not push me. And to think I had come here to make peace with you." His father laughed bitterly.

"But this I won't accept…" he shook his head, "I'm disappointed in you."

Blaine felt like he had just been stabbed. He turned to grab a bag and stuffed some clothes and his drawings in it.

"Blaine, stop. You are not going anywhere!" His mom said frantically, her eyes darting between him and her husband.

"It's okay, mom. I have somewhere to go."

"But this is your house! You are not leaving!" she turned to look at her husband, "Harold, stop this nonsense right now! He is your son, dammit!"

"He is no longer my son."

Blaine shook his head in disbelief as he zipped his bag. He made his way to the door and turned to look at his father.

"You're the disgusting one."

Suddenly, his father slapped him. His mom gasped loudly and went to Blaine's side. His father stood still with an icy look.

"I never want to see you again."

Tears of anger and disbelief came down Blaine's face as he replied.

"Don't worry, you won't."

He turned to look at his mom who was also crying.

"I'll call you, mom. I'm sorry for ruining Thanksgiving."

"Blaine… No, wait…" his mom sobbed, trying to stop him.

He went down the stairs, ignoring the frantic calls from his mother and ran out of the house and into the night.

* * *

><p>Kurt parked his car in his usual spot and got out. He still felt completely full from the incredible amount of food he had eaten. Even if he was always aware of the calorie count and tried to remain healthy, he made an exception for the holidays. Besides, Carole always made absolutely exquisite meals. He couldn't help himself.<p>

Just as he was reminiscing on his family dinner, he noticed a silhouette on the sidewalk. He squinted his eyes as he approached his building, trying to make out who the person was. All of a sudden, his eyes widened in surprise.

"Blaine? What are you doing here?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I find it hard to write angsty situations! I love Blaine too much to do that to him! *sniff*<strong>

**Okay, so coming soon… Kurt's dark past is finally revealed! Stay tuned! **

**Oh, and I hope my US readers had a lovely Thanksgiving! :D**


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: I'm finally done with finals and officially on my Christmas break! So expect updates more often than before :)**

**Disclaimer: Bla bla bla… doesn't belong to me… bla bla bla.**

* * *

><p><em>"Blaine? What are you doing here?"<em>

Blaine looked up to find the older boy staring at him with a confused expression on his face. He knew he must look terrible. His cheek was swollen where his father had slapped him and he had his bag of stuff sitting next to him. And now that he thought about it, he couldn't even remember when he decided to go to Kurt's house; he had made the journey unconsciously.

He realized that Kurt was still waiting for an answer so he cleared his throat and stood up. He tried to avoid Kurt's gaze to hide his slapped cheek.

"Um… I'm sorry, I-I don't know why I ended up here… I just…" His voice was still a bit raspy and he was tripping on his words.

"Did you fight with your dad again?" Kurt interrupted as he eyed him carefully.

'_Dammit! And just when I had thought to pick up a Thanksgiving dessert at Epsilon._' He thought as Blaine scratched the back of his head uncomfortably.

"Yeah, something like that…" Blaine attempted to laugh but it sounded more like a tired sigh. "This was probably a bad idea. I'll call Quinn… I-I… I'll go, I don't want to bother-"

"Stop," said Kurt as he drew closer to him. "You can stay here."

Kurt had planned to make a late visit to the club and get laid. He was in desperate need of sex. And yet, he couldn't bring himself to kick the kid out. Because something was wrong and Kurt could tell. After all, why else would Blaine be carrying a heavy looking bag and standing on the sidewalk leading to his building on Thanksgiving Day?

Blaine opened his mouth to insist on leaving but closed it again for he was too tired to pretend to care on whether he was being a bother or not. He grabbed his bag from the floor and followed Kurt inside the building.

When they entered the apartment, Kurt removed his coat and threw it in the couch next to him. Blaine just stood by the door, unsure of what to do. Kurt turned around and smiled at Blaine's uncertainty.

"Are you coming in or do you plan to stay there all night long?"

Blaine snapped out of whatever trance he was in and nodded as he made his way inside Kurt's apartment. He walked awkwardly to the couch where Kurt's coat had been thrown and set his bag down. Kurt made his way to the kitchen and opened the fridge. He turned to look at the other boy, who was currently seating down on the sofa. As the light hit his face, Kurt noticed that Blaine's left cheek was red and a bit swollen. He frowned but pretended not to notice and returned his attention to the two bottles he was taking out as he casually asked.

"So, want to tell me why are you staying here tonight?" He closed the fridge and walked towards Blaine. He handed him one of the bottles and Blaine took it hesitantly.

"I don't really want to talk about it, if you don't mind." He opened the lid and took a sip from the bottle before placing it on the coffee table, his stare fixated on it.

"Okay, then."

Blaine was silent for the next few minutes and Kurt started getting uneasy; it wasn't like Blaine to be so quiet. Besides, he really wasn't good at the whole caring for other people's feelings. But he and Blaine had decided to be friends. And friends took care of each other, right?

He was getting exasperated. This was precisely why he hated relationships, romantic or otherwise. They were too complicated.

Suddenly, an idea hit him and he seated next to Blaine.

"Draw something for me," he said cheerfully.

Blaine turned to look at him, his eyes unreadable. Silently, he reached down and grabbed his sketchbook and pencils from the bag. When he started drawing, Kurt noticed that Blaine was tracing the lines more forcefully than usual. He frowned and eyed the boy as he continued working. The atmosphere was heavy with tension and the only sound that could be heard was the pencil hitting the paper.

Blaine suddenly ripped the paper off and crumpled it. Kurt jumped in surprise and just stared at the younger boy, who clutched the paper for a moment before throwing it away.

"What did you do that for?" Kurt asked him.

"It sucked," Blaine said as he set himself to begin a new one.

Kurt noticed how Blaine traced with even more force than before and just as he planned to speak up and ask Blaine what the matter was, he repeated his actions and threw the sketchbook aside.

"What the hell?" Kurt all but yelled as Blaine stood up and took a folder out of his bag. Kurt recognized it to be the one where he kept all his drawings.

"They suck! They all suck!" He opened the folder and began throwing the drawings around, "Look at them! And they all suck because _I _suck."

He sat back down, throwing the folder on the coffee table and covering his face with his hands. Kurt shifted closer to him.

"What's wrong?" he whispered.

"He doesn't want me," Blaine whispered back.

Kurt felt a pang on his chest.

"What are you talking about?" he said with a sharp tone. _Who _exactly was Blaine talking about?

"My dad. H-he…" Blaine let out a shaky sigh, "He found out that I-I… that I'm gay and he… He just kicked me out."

At the mention of Blaine's father, Kurt felt relieved. But that feeling soon faded when Blaine mentioned being kicked out. The boy hadn't even finished the sentence before tears started to fall from his face. He stood up again and began pacing in front of Kurt.

"He said that I wasn't his son anymore! He said he doesn't want me! He never wants to see me again!" His voice kept rising until he was practically yelling.

"He hit me! My own father… he… he _fucking _hit me!" He said as he pointed his slapped cheek.

Kurt couldn't find the right words to say. He opened and closed his mouth several times in an attempt to say something that would make Blaine stop, something that would comfort him. But nothing came out. He just sat there, watching Blaine slowly start to lose control.

"My own father doesn't want me! Because I'm disgusting! Because nothing I ever do is good enough! Everything I do is just _fucking _wrong!"

He reached down and grabbed some of the drawings that he had previously thrown to the floor.

"I can never please him…" He stared numbly at his work, "And I can never do anything right."

He tore one of the drawings in two and Kurt's eyes widened. He stood up and practically flew to Blaine's side.

"Blaine, stop! Don't do that! Listen to me! Hey!"

But Blaine kept tearing up the drawings, angry tears falling from his eyes. Kurt, in a desperate attempt to make him stop, hugged him tightly before he could tear the last drawing in his hand. Blaine just crumpled the paper with one hand as he snaked the other one behind Kurt, grasping his shirt. Had it been a different situation, Kurt would've freaked out about the wrinkles in his clothes but right now, he couldn't care less. Suddenly, Blaine's knees gave in and both of them fell to the floor. Kurt held him while Blaine cried his heart out, sobbing loudly and gasping for air.

They stayed that way for what seemed like a long time, with Blaine crying his heart out and Kurt simply holding him. He could feel Blaine's hot tears on his shoulder and tried to hug him even tighter. He stroke the boy's hair and murmured words of comfort in his ear. When Blaine's sobs subsided, but he was still crying quietly, Kurt pulled away to look into his eyes.

"Are you feeling any better?" he asked quietly as Blaine wiped his tears away with the back of his hand.

He sniffed and shrugged. Kurt took his hands and made him let go of the drawing he was still clutching. He tried his best to straighten it, but the marks were visible.

"Don't say you can't do anything right. Don't say you're disgusting. You're anything but disgusting," he said as he looked up to the sad boy in front of him.

Blaine just looked at him with a devastated expression. Kurt hated seeing that look on his face.

"_Never_ talk about yourself like that again, you hear me?" he whispered. Blaine nodded slowly.

"And never do this again," he raised the drawing to make Blaine look at it, "You are incredibly talented and I really like these. So if you tear them up again I'll get really pissed off, okay?"

Blaine smiled ever so slightly. Kurt sighed and put the drawing in the coffee table. He grabbed Blaine's arms and helped him get up.

"Now, why don't you take a shower? It may help you relax a bit."

Not uttering a word, Blaine nodded once again and made his way to Kurt's bathroom. Once he had gotten in and closed the door, Kurt sighed. He looked around and started picking up the pieces of paper scattered across his living room.

* * *

><p>Burt was helping Carole clean up the kitchen after their Thanksgiving dinner. Finn and Rachel had just gone home and Kurt had left around midnight. They had had a wonderful time. Burt sighed happily as he placed the last dishes on the dishwasher. He was tired but he didn't mind. Staying up late to spend a lovely evening with his family was always worth it.<p>

Once everything was cleaned up, the couple began making their way to the stairs to turn in for the day. Just as Burt was reaching the first step of the staircase, the phone rang. His wife turned to look at him and he just shrugged. Perhaps it was Finn and Rachel calling, to let him know they arrived home safely.

"Burt Hummel here!" He said when he picked up the phone.

"_Dad?"_ Kurt's voice said from the other end.

"Kiddo! What's going on? Forgot something?"

"_N-no. Listen, I need your help with something. It's about Blaine."_

"Alright… What is it?" He said, completely taken aback.

Kurt then proceeded to let Burt know what had happened. Burt sat on the couch at some point, while his son told him the whole story. How he came home to find Blaine waiting for him. How he was behaving strangely and finally lost it. How his father had kicked him out for coming out. Absolutely everything.

"_And I thought you could maybe talk some sense into the guy. Blaine was completely heartbroken."_

Burt's heart suddenly felt swollen with pride and love for his son because it had been a while since he had done something nice or cared for someone else's pain. Finn had not been mistaken. Blaine really was Wonder Boy. Burt had completely fallen in love with the kid when he had joined them for dinner the day before and just to know that Kurt was affected by whatever happened to Blaine was such a nice, welcomed surprise.

But there were bigger matters at hand. He would have time to rejoice in the changes his son was having ever since meeting this boy. Right now, it was important to show some support to Blaine.

"Sure thing, kiddo. Man, I can't believe he'd do that to his own son! And on Thanksgiving Day! God, what a jerk!"

He shook his head disapprovingly and felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned his head to see Carole with a concerned look on her face. He smiled reassuringly to her.

"_My thoughts exactly."_

"But how's Blaine doing now?"

He heard Kurt sigh, _"I don't know. He cried his eyes out before and he's taking a shower now. I don't think he's doing too great."_

"Well, you tell that kid that he's got us now, okay? And rest assure, I'll go talk to his parents tomorrow. But hey! I need the address first, you got it?"

"_Oh my! I almost forgot!" _Kurt laughed lightly, "_Yeah, I have it. I had to go through the papers on his folder but I'm sure he won't mind. Got a pen?"_

Burt took the pen he always carried out of the pocket of his shirt and scribbled Blaine's address on a napkin.

"Got it, kiddo."

"_Thanks, Dad."_

They hanged up and Burt told Carole everything. She looked devastated and promised to call Kurt to see how Blaine was doing. Burt left the paper with Blaine's address next to his keys, so he wouldn't forget it in the morning.

'_What kind of father would turn on his own child because of who he decides to love?'_ He thought as he hugged Carole and both made their way to their bedroom.

* * *

><p>Kurt sighed and looked down at the piece of paper in his hand. As he had just told his dad on the phone, he had to go through Blaine's things in order to find his address. He didn't expect to find it, considering that Blaine had just packed some clothes and his drawing kit. But after he had picked up the boy's torn drawings and set himself to put them on the folder where he'd seen Blaine keeping them, he found an application form.<p>

Curiosity had taken the best in him and he grabbed the paper. It was an application form to Parsons and it was filled almost completely. At least, it had what he'd hoped to find; Blaine's address.

After he had hanged up with his dad, he rubbed his neck. He was exhausted. It was pretty late and it had been a rollercoaster of emotions in such a short time. He turned to look at the bathroom door that was still closed. The sound of the water could still be heard.

'_So you want to go to New York,' _He thought as he looked at the paper again before returning it to its place in Blaine's folder.

He chanced a look to the bathroom door once more and made his way to his bedroom.

His mind began to wander and he thought about his own days attending college in New York. He had his share of fun; that much was obvious. But then, his thoughts took a turn, sending him back to his high school years and more specifically, to his senior year.

Finding out Blaine's plans for college in New York had brought him memories. The kid reminded him of a younger version of himself. He reminded Kurt of a time where we also was carefree and happy and in love with life. Blaine was still young and naïve, but he was also quite mature for his age, something Kurt wasn't when he was eighteen.

And watching the boy break down like that had also brought memories, but of a darker kind. Everything that went down on his last months of high school came flooding back and he was suddenly hit with the craziest idea. He felt an overwhelming urge to let it all out. To finally tell what really went on that day he stopped being the Kurt Hummel everyone knew and loved.

And the most insane part of it was that the person he wanted to tell everything to was _Blaine_.

Kurt didn't understand this sudden urge to reveal his darkest, most hidden secret to the younger boy. Maybe it was because Blaine had come to him after the fight with his dad and now he felt like had to come clean with Blaine. But strangely, it didn't quite feel like an obligation. He felt like he was losing his mind but he _truly_wanted Blaine to know.

He heard the shower being turned off and suddenly felt nervous. He sat down as he waited for Blaine to come out. The kid opened the door a few minutes later he stepped out, wrapped in Kurt's white bathrobe. They locked eyes and Kurt's stare softened at the sight of the other boy's eyes, all puffy and red. Still, the hazel orbs were beautiful to look at. Kurt smiled slightly and shifted in the bed until he was lying down.

"Come here," he whispered and Blaine obeyed, slowly climbing into the bed.

* * *

><p>They were lying on the bed, Blaine's back pressed against Kurt's chest. His eyes were still shedding silent tears but he had calmed down for the most part. Kurt's hand was pressed against his chest, holding him tightly.<p>

Kurt kept thinking about telling Blaine about his past. That urge to come clean that had hit him before was still present. When he finally decided he spoke up, his voice was so low it was almost a whisper.

"Blaine, are you awake?" The boy nodded wordlessly.

"Good, cause I've got something I want to tell you..." He took a deep breath. "... About me."

Blaine frowned and shifted around so he was facing Kurt. He looked at him curiously but didn't utter a word.

Kurt wiped his tears away and began stoking his hair. Blaine averted his gaze, since he couldn't stop crying. He still felt too sad and exhausted.

Kurt continued caressing his face, touching gently the cheek that had been slapped. Blaine flinched a bit and closed his eyes at the touch but opened them again and he focused his stare on Kurt's chest. He hated that Kurt had to see him like this, broken and deeply saddened. Blaine kept telling himself Kurt was only being this nice to comfort him. He knew that with Kurt, he could never be sure if his actions were affectionate or absentminded.

"I'm going to tell you what happened to make me like I am now. The reason I don't believe in love."

Blaine darted his eyes to meet Kurt's. His heart was pounding like crazy and his hazel eyes widened like plates as he stared at the boy lying next to him.

"What?"

_**To be continued...**_


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Okay, so this chapter is all about Klaine and Kurt's secret. WARNING: It contains a rather violent scene and mentions of abuse. Please, take that into consideration before reading. **

**Also, I would like to thank everyone that has reviewed so far! I haven't done it properly and I'm sorry for that. It truly means the world to me, since I honestly didn't know if this story or its writing would be any good, but people keep reading it and I am so, _so_ eternally grateful. Please know that it makes my day every time you review or place me in your alert subscriptions or favorites list and all of it makes me feel more confident about my amateur writing skills! :')**

**But why am I getting all teary-eyed and cheesy right now? Because this is, I believe the most important chapter in the story and one that many of you have been waiting for. And if it doesn't live up to the hype you'll probably decide to stop reading. So in case that happens, I'm thanking you all for sticking with me until now. That does not mean this is the end of the story, though. I still have a lot to go on with! :D**

**But anyway, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: You know the drill; about the only thing I own here is the writing ;)**

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><p>"You're telling me – why?" asked Blaine, disbelief obvious in his voice. It still sounded a bit rough, since he had barely spoken a word since his outburst on Kurt's living room.<p>

"To be honest, I don't know." Kurt whispered, frowning. He seemed genuinely confused.

Blaine's eyes darted everywhere as he tried to wrap his head around what was happening. He felt like in a bizarre, but wanted, dream. And yet, it was real. Kurt was finally opening up to him. He was finally uncovering the mystery. He didn't know what had inspired Kurt to do so, but he wasn't complaining. He had been given the opportunity to understand the man lying next to him.

He looked up and found those incredible glasz eyes staring right back at him. They stayed like that for a while, eyeing each other as Blaine waited patiently for Kurt to begin his story. After what seemed like a long time had passed, Kurt started speaking.

"I used to be like you, Blaine. A hopeless romantic, yearning for the day when I'd find my prince charming and we'd ride into the horizon towards our happily-ever-after. I had every detail of my wedding planned out since I was about 5."

Kurt admired the boy's face as his mind took a trip down memory lane. The beautiful hazel orbs seemed to be chained to his baby blues. Blaine was paying attention to every word.

"When I entered high school, I fell in love... with Finn." Blaine's eyes widened and Kurt laughed at the adorable expression. "Yes, I used to have a major crush on my stepbrother. But I grew out of it eventually and Finn found Rachel. There were some other guys that caught my eye but nothing big."

"And then, during my junior year, I began noticing this one guy. He was part of the football team and really popular. His name was David Karofsky."

Blaine noticed the way Kurt's eyes turned ice cold as the name escaped his mouth. His voice even sounded vicious for the briefest moment.

"I swooned over him but I knew he'd never even give me a second glance. I had been glaringly obvious about my crush with Finn and learned from that, so I tried to keep this new crush to myself. I ended up only telling Rachel. It was, after all, a silly, pointless crush. But then we began our senior year and one day, he unexpectedly came to talk to me."

* * *

><p><em>The halls were completely empty. Kurt had run late for his next class but he really needed to get something out of his locker. He was searching through it when he heard footsteps drawing near him. <em>

_"Hi."_

_He froze as he recognized the voice that had just addressed him. It sounded so familiar, after fantasizing with it for such a long time. Slowly, he turned to face none other than Dave Karofsky, who was leaning against the lockers and giving him a sly smile._

_"Hi," Kurt answered back weakly, breathlessly._

_"Kurt, right?" said boy nodded quickly. "So, Kurt… wanna hang out sometime?"_

* * *

><p>"Of course, I said yes right away. I couldn't believe that the very guy I had been crushing on for so long wanted to hang out with <em>me.<em> He told me to wait for him in the parking lot once classes were over. He led me to his car and we just drove around town, talking about anything and everything. He said he had wanted to get to know me better for a long time. I got home that day and I remember feeling like I had landed among the stars."

Kurt was looking behind Blaine, seemingly lost in his remembrances. Blaine kept examining his face, noticing how his face would soften at some parts of his tale, just to harden moments later.

"We started hanging out after that. It was a bit hard, but we managed. He'd take me to the movies or to grab a bite somewhere but under the excuse that we were "lab partners" or that I was tutoring him. He had told me from the very beginning that he wasn't ready for the world to know and I accepted that. So, even if we did go out from time to time, mainly we just hanged out at his house."

"At school, of course, we kept out of each other's path. But sometimes, he'd manage to brush his arm next to mine on the hallways or give me a little wink in the classroom. Sometimes he'd trot near the bleachers where I was sitting during his football matches. It wasn't much, but it meant the world to me."

Kurt laughed bitterly and looked away from Blaine. He fixed his eyes on the ceiling as he continued talking.

"And he was just so sweet to me when we were together in the safety of his room. He was the very first boy I kissed. He took almost all of my firsts slowly, sweetly – my first kiss, my first date, my first 'boyfriend', my first…love. And at the time, I thought it was perfect. I still kept secretly waiting for the day he'd come out and we could finally be all lovey-dovey together publicly. But I didn't push."

Blaine was at a loss. Even when he felt jealousy consuming him, he couldn't deny the fact that this guy sounded great. Okay, so he wanted them to date secretly but that wasn't bad enough to make Kurt give up on love, right?

"He sounds… nice," Blaine found himself saying before he could stop himself.

Kurt tensed up immediately. His eyes went cold and he locked them with Blaine's. He flinched slightly at the intensity of Kurt's gaze and regretted opening his mouth in the first place. The older boy noticed Blaine's uneasiness and his eyes softened a little. He lowered his gaze and attempted – and failed– to smile.

"I guess I have been talking like he was a fucking Disney prince, huh? Yeah, I also thought he shot rainbows out of his ass back then. But I'd soon learn it wasn't like that. At all."

Blaine frowned at that comment. Kurt sighed heavily and unconsciously grabbed Blaine's hand.

"When the end of the school year drew near, someone threw a party. He and I agreed to go but, naturally, not together. So I arrived there with Finn and Rachel. I spotted him right away, chatting with his friends from the football team. I knew he wouldn't come close to me that night so I decided to just have a fun night with my friends."

"But then, I was talking to a girl when I got tapped on the shoulder. I turn around to find him standing behind me."

* * *

><p><em>"Come with me."<em>

_Kurt's eyes widened. He opened his mouth to answer something but nothing came out. He nodded and turned to apologize to the girl that was talking to him. He followed David, who led him upstairs. _

_"Dave? Where are we going? And you know people are seeing us."_

_"Shhh, it's okay. Come on."_

_He opened a door and turned to Kurt. "After you," he said as he gestured inside the bedroom. _

_It was completely dark and just when Kurt was about to turn around to ask what they were doing there, a voice was heard._

_"You really went through with it, Dave." _

_"Hey, a deal's a deal, right?" Kurt heard David say from behind. _

_He frowned in confusion and whirled around to face him._

_"A deal? What are you talking about? And who's in there?"_

_But David didn't answer back. Suddenly, Kurt heard a click and the room lit up by a lamp on the night table. He could finally see David's face, which had an unreadable expression on it. Slowly, fearfully, he turned around to find two other jocks. One of them was tall and blond. The other one was dark-skinned and burly. They were giving him weird smiles that made him feel extremely uncomfortable. _

_"What's up, fag?" The burly one said, the last word pronounced viciously. Kurt flinched and tried to back away, only to be stopped by David's arms. _

_"What-? David! What is this? I-I…"_

_"I want my money first," David said, addressing the boys standing in front of them. _

_"Your money? A deal?" Kurt's eyes widened and he twisted his neck to try and get a look at David's face. Realization came to him as he whispered, eyes wide. "It was all a lie?"_

_A painful expression shot across David's face, so quickly that Kurt thought he had imagined it. He smirked and answered cruelly._

_"Can't believe you bought it, you disgusting fag."_

_The other two boys laughed and Kurt turned to look at them._

_"Man, you really did an awesome job. Just look at that shocked face," the blond one commented as he and his friend started approaching Kurt, who tried to get away from David's tight grip. _

_"We made a bet, you see, little queer? We wanted to know just how big of a cockslut you were. So we agreed he'd pretend to be interested in you and offer to date you. And you bought it so easily! But you know what the worst part of it was? You actually took up the damn offer!"_

_The burly boy laughed loudly. "You truly are a cockslut!"_

_Tears were threatening to appear but Kurt fought them with all he had. He knew that if he started crying now, it would only make things worse. He felt so heartbroken, so terribly deluded. Yes, he had been stupid enough to think David Karoksky actually loved him. _

_"My money. Now," he heard David say and the blond guy took out his wallet, pulling several dollar bills out of it and handing them over to him. _

_He took them with one hand and eyed them briefly before putting them on his pocket. Kurt watched the exchange, not believing his eyes. He felt like he was in a nightmare and he'd wake up at any moment. Only he didn't_

_All of a sudden, he was roughly pushed to the bed by David's strong arms. Kurt shifted rapidly in the bed until his back was pressed against the headboard. He was panicking and thought about screaming but the blasting music playing downstairs would not let anyone hear him._

_David leaned against the door with his arms crossed as he watched his friends come near the bed, forcefully pulling Kurt out of it. Their eyes were so filled with hate that Kurt started trembling uncontrollably. _

_"Please…" he said in a tight voice. The burly one laughed but the blond one's face twisted in anger and disgust. _

_"Queer!" he yelled as he punched Kurt on his stomach. He bent down in pain and groaned. _

_The tears he had fought before could not stop now and just as he had predicted, they made the situation worse_

_"Man up, you fucking fag!" The blond said as he launched a direct blow on Kurt's face that had him hit the floor. _

_They took the opportunity and continued to punch and kick him with David witnessing it all from his spot near the door. Kurt kept asking frantically for them to stop but to no avail, the blows just kept coming. He could feel the taste of blood in his lips and his vision was getting blurry. He covered his face as the two boys continued to kick him mercilessly. _

_Just as he thought he was about to lose consciousness, he heard the unmistakable sound of someone's belt being unbuckled._

_"God, no…" was the last thing he said before blackness took him in. _

* * *

><p>"You can guess what happened after I passed out," said Kurt quietly. "I lost and regained consciousness through it all. They took turns, except Karofsky. He just stood there, enjoying the show."<p>

Blaine felt sick. His head was spinning as he tried to process Kurt's horrid tale. He was breathing heavily, bordering hyperventilation.

"When they were done, they were _kind _enough to put my clothes back on," Kurt added sarcastically. "I was left lying there for I don't know how long. Finn was the one that found me. He came looking for me since he and Rachel wanted to go. They rushed me to the hospital. I was in pretty bad shape, broken ribs, broken arm and a black eye, all of it. My parents arrived soon after and demanded for me to have every test, medicine, procedure needed to fix me."

Blaine squeezed Kurt's hand and closed his eyes tightly as the image of a bloody, bruised Kurt filled his thoughts. He felt a lump on his throat beginning to form.

"The doctors obviously found out I'd been raped but since I was already eighteen I begged them not to tell my parents. They weren't taking it so I had to make up some shit about how I'd sue them for breaking the doctor-patient confidentiality code or whatever."

"But, _why?_" Blaine interrupted, "Why wouldn't you want them to know? They should've paid for what they did to you!"

Kurt smiled at the younger boy and shook his head.

"I was embarrassed, Blaine. I felt dirty and broken. No way in hell I was letting them know. But of course, the doctors didn't listen to me. They told my parents and they lost it. My dad looked like he could kill someone. Carole was completely devastated. Finn blamed himself for not keeping an eye on me during the party. The family was a mess. Those were some pretty nasty days. The story made headlines, the police took the case and I was left in the hospital for quite the amount of time."

"And, what happened with – with _them_?" Blaine asked.

"They arrested the boys that essentially attacked me but Karofsky walked free since he didn't actually touch me. They couldn't even prove he had been in the same room at the time of… well, _it_."

Blaine's mouth fell open in disbelief. He cursed himself for getting ahead of the facts and actually commenting that this Karofksy was a nice guy.

"I returned to school shortly after they had prosecuted them. And soon enough, things went back to normal. But it wasn't the same for me. _I _wasn't the same, I would never be the same. I couldn't even pretend or try to be the person I was before the incident. I just didn't give a damn anymore. After all, what good was to love someone, _anyone_, when all you got from it was getting tricked, raped and beaten the hell out of you?"

"But – "

"Love always ends in heartbreak, Blaine." Kurt said forcefully, "And some people get the worse of it. I did and know the word doesn't mean anything to me anymore. Love turned me into the asshole I am now. I loved someone once and it was the worst thing that ever happened to me. So, no, I don't believe in love and fairytales and all that shit I used to believe in anymore."

Blaine couldn't help but feel bad for Kurt. It angered him and made him wish they had been the same age and attended high school together. Maybe things could have gone differently. Maybe they could have fallen in love. Maybe they'd be lying in bed like they were right now, but blissfully married or engaged or something. But they weren't.

He could now understand him and for some reason – even if he knew it was pointless – it made him fall even more in love with Kurt. He sighed and turned to look at Kurt. But the moment their eyes met, Kurt looked away and said harshly.

"Don't give me that look."

He got up and turned his back on Blaine.

"What look?" Blaine asked confused as he propped on his elbows.

"The _pity _look. I didn't tell you all of this so you could feel sorry for me. I don't need this crap."

Blaine shifted closer to him. "I-I didn't mean to, I'm sorry. I just… I hate that you had to go through that." His voice broke at that last part, making Kurt turn to get a look of his face.

He whirled back around and scoffed. "Yeah, well whatever. Now you know the truth."

Blaine's eyes softened and he wrapped his arms around Kurt.

"Thank you. Thank you for trusting me." He said his voice thick with emotion.

Kurt placed his hand above Blaine's and smiled. They stayed like that for a while until Kurt spoke again.

"I don't think I ever talked about this before," he said absentmindedly.

Blaine's eyes widened at the confession. He suddenly felt so special upon hearing those words. _He_ had been the first person Kurt had opened up to. Even if he kept telling himself not to get his hopes up, _this _should mean something.

"I'm glad I told _you," _Kurt breathed and Blaine felt like his heart would burst in his chest.

He smiled and sighed, tightening his grip on Kurt and resting his head on his shoulder. "Me too."

Kurt slowly turned his head and met the younger boy's eyes. They stared at each other before Kurt closed the gap between them, kissing him sweetly.

Blaine sighed into the kiss and when they broke apart he giggled. Kurt turned around so that they were face to face, their knees touching. He kissed Blaine again and rested their foreheads together.

Blaine closed his eyes and whispered.

"Weren't we supposed to be 'just friends'?"

Kurt, whose eyes were also closed, smiled widely.

"Fuck it. I like kissing you way too much for that."

Both opened their eyes simultaneously and smiled at each other. Kurt backed his head a little and took Blaine's hand.

"Listen, I really like being with you. And it's not because you are surprisingly good in bed, you know, for a newbie."

Blaine laughed and rolled his eyes.

"Way to ruin the moment, Kurt."

Kurt smiled at him and carried on. "I can't promise anything_, _not even monogamy but – I want to be with you."

Blaine's breath got caught up in his throat. He stared at the boy in front of him with his eyebrows raised and his lips slightly parted.

"But when I say I can't make any promises I really mean it. If you take the offer you need to keep that in mind. I will probably still want to go out and fool around. But I also want to give this," he gestured between them, "a try, somehow. So what do you say?"

Blaine thought about it. It was risky and he knew that. Kurt had said it; he couldn't even promise he'd be faithful. He could end up terribly hurt and heartbroken. But on the other hand, he could – miraculously – get Kurt to believe in love again. And he loved Kurt enough to take that risk.

"I'm in," he simply said.

Kurt gave him a crooked smile and closed the gap between them, kissing him deeply. Blaine tangled his hands on Kurt's hair and sighed contently. Kurt slowly pushed him back into the bed, their lips never parting.

Once air became necessary, they broke apart and stared into each other's eyes. Blaine felt like he was losing himself in the vastness of Kurt's beautiful eyes. He reached up, cupped Kurt's face in his hands and brought their mouths together again.

_'He is _definitely _worth the risk.'_

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><p><strong>There it is! Man, I'm exhausted! Too many feelings while writing this chapter! So, now I am going to go hide under a rock while I wait for your lovely reviews. <strong>

**Up next: Burt goes to talk to Blaine's parents... Chan chan chaaaaaan!  
><strong>


	12. Chapter 12

**I got so lovely reviews with the latest chapter. Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked it! And I hope you enjoy this one :)**

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned. But I don't. **

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><p>The next morning, Blaine was woken up by the sunlight gently caressing his face. He rolled around, tangling his legs on the sheets as he stretched his arms. He rubbed his eyes and opened them slowly. They still felt a bit puffy from all the crying he'd done last night. He sighed as he recalled everything. It had been quite an eventful night. The fight with his father, being kicked out, breaking down on Kurt's arms, Kurt's secret… too much stuff for one night.<p>

And of course, there was also Kurt's offer to give this thing between them a try. Blaine still doubted _that_ had happened and it still worried him that Kurt couldn't promise him anything.

Was Kurt even capable of going through with this offer? Blaine knew Kurt was a nice person underneath the façade of the asshole but still… Old habits die hard, don't they?

Just as he was analyzing their talk, Kurt pushed open the bedroom door. He was only wearing his boxers and he was holding a tray in his hands. Blaine turned to look at him and they smiled at each other.

"Hi."

Kurt lifted the tray a little bit, "Breakfast in bed."

Blaine laughed lightly, grateful for that little, romantic gesture. He shifted in bed and leaned against the headboard while Kurt placed the tray on his lap. Then, he sat next to him and grabbed a toast.

"This looks delicious, Kurt." Blaine said as he eyed his breakfast. He turned to look at Kurt and smiled at him. Kurt smiled back and leaned in to peck him on the lips before taking a bite from the toast on his hand.

They spent the following hour feeding each other in between kisses and sweet talk. When they finished eating, Kurt suggested they'd visit Carole at the diner, since he had told her and his father what had happened and they were worried about Blaine.

He blushed at that, feeling grateful that they cared for him. His bashful reaction granted him another round of kisses from Kurt, who thought it to be adorable. After a while of kissing and rolling playfully around the bed, Blaine remembered had promised to call his mom.

He sat on the edge of the bed and called her. Kurt sat behind him, one arm wrapped across his chest. With his free arm, he reached down and wordlessly took Blaine's hand. Blaine turned to see him while he waited for his mom to pick up but Kurt pretended to be examining something on his hand. He smiled to himself. That was so like Kurt – doing something to comfort people but pretending it wasn't a big deal.

His mom picked up the phone after the third ring. She sounded extremely relieved and immediately asked him where and how he was. He told her and talked to her for a while. His heart broke as he noticed that her voice sounded raspy and she sometimes choked on her words. She kept asking him to come back, that it was his house and she'd make her father see reason. But he knew it was useless.

His father wasn't coming around any time soon.

He hung up and left the phone on the mattress. Kurt placed a kiss on his shoulder and tightened his grip. Blaine sighed and closed his eyes as he leaned back into Kurt's chest.

"It's okay," Kurt whispered in his ear.

And in that moment, wrapped in Kurt's arms, Blaine truly believed that.

* * *

><p>Burt whistled as he saw the grand houses that led to the Anderson home. He parked his truck in front of the house and got out. As he made his way to the door he was able to hear some screaming going down where he supposed was the living room. Not a good sign.<p>

He sighed and rang the bell. The screaming subsided and then the door was partially opened by Kate Anderson. When he saw her face, Burt was surprised by the uncanny resemblance between Blaine and his mother. They even had the same breathtakingly beautiful hazel eyes. She looked tired, though, and her cheeks were wet with shed tears.

She graciously tried to wipe them off and looked at the visitor on her doorstep.

"Yes?"

"Mrs. Anderson, I'm Burt Hummel. I – "

"I'm terribly sorry Mr. Hummel. I don't know who you are or what your visit is about, but this is truly a bad time and I can't – "

"I know your son," said Burt simply as he shoved his hands inside his pockets.

She looked surprised for a moment before asking quietly, "You know my Blaine?"

Burt nodded. "Yes. He's fine, don't worry. He stayed with my son last night. I was just wondering if I could maybe have a quick word with you and your husband."

"Your son? Wait… Are you Kurt's father?"

Burt raised his eyebrows at the mention of his son. He had originally thought that it had been both of Blaine's parents that disagreed with their son's sexuality, but upon seeing her face, hearing the screaming before he'd knocked and realizing that she was aware of Blaine's affairs; it was now obvious that the only problem truly was the father.

"Yes, that's me."

She suddenly seemed to understand why he was there because her eyes widened slightly and she nodded, ushering him inside the house.

They stepped into the living room where Blaine's dad was standing. He seemed upset and frowned when he saw Burt.

"Who's this?" he asked his wife.

"I'm Burt Hummel. I come here to talk about your son."

"What do you mean?" He faced his wife, who refused to look at him. She was standing between the two men, her arms crossed and her stare fixed on Burt.

"I know you kicked Blaine out of here yesterday," Burt started, "because he told you he's gay."

"And you know this because…"

'_Man, what a jerk,' _Burt thought as he replied calmly, "He came to my son's apartment in the middle of the night. See, I know how confused you must feel. I went through the same thing with my kid a couple of years back and I want to offer my help."

"Well, that's very kind of you but I don't need your help."

"Seeing that you kicked your own son out of his home, I say you do need some help." Burt countered. He could feel his blood boiling.

How in the world were Blaine – sweet, caring, loving Blaine – and this man related?

"What happens between me and my son is none of your goddamn business!"

"Dammit Harold! Why – "Kate started loudly but Burt interrupted her.

"It is my business when your son has to walk the streets of this city alone after being kicked out of his home on freaking Thanksgiving Day and has to end up on my son's doorstep." He yelled. "It is my business because you are his father! Your job is to love and accept him but what do you do instead? You shut the door in his face!"

"And it is my business because that is one _heck_ of a kid and you seemed to have forgotten that simply because he was born to love a certain way!"

"He wasn't born like that! He _chose _it!"

Kate groaned in frustration and started crying again, silently. She bit her lip and turned to see a picture of the three of them in happier times. She closed her eyes tightly as even more tears came down her face.

Burt saw this out of the corner of his eye and shook his head sadly. He turned to face Harold and huffed.

"Oh this is just great. So you're just one of those guys that go around telling people being gay is a choice? Okay, I'll play. Say he _did_ choose it. Why should that affect the way you see him? Why should that affect the way you _love_ him?"

Harold seemed taken aback for the slightest instant.

"I didn't raise him up to end up being a fag."

Burt was about to answer but Kate beat him to it.

"That's it Harold! You don't get to call my boy that word ever again! You won't give in, fine. I'm done with this and I'm done with you."

"Kate?"

She stepped out of the living room and opened the door of the small closet where they kept their coats and jackets. She grabbed hers and took out one heavy looking bag. She returned to the living room and dropped the bag on the floor.

"What's that?" Harold said, his eyes on the bag.

"Blaine's things," she responded, her head held high. "I tried reasoning with you Harold, because I know you love Blaine. But you're being so stupid and close minded that you can't see that. Well, that's _your_ problem now. I love my son for everything he is and I'm proud to be his mother. And I refuse to be in this house next a person who can't feel that way about him. You leave me no choice."

She disappeared once again. Burt stood there, unsure of what to say. It was now obvious that Blaine's father wasn't going to change his mind anytime soon so he got out of the living room, only to find her gathering some bags by the door.

Harold stepped out as well. "Kate, wait."

She ignored him.

"Mr. Hummel, could you take me to Blaine?"

"Of course. And please, call me Burt."

"Burt," she nodded and smiled, handing him one of the bags.

"Kate…" her husband said again with a warning tone.

"There's nothing you can say that would change my mind, Harold."

She opened the door and Burt took her bags, carrying them to the car. She watched him for a moment before grabbing Blaine's bag and stepping out of the house as well. Just as she came down the last step of the porch, she turned around.

"Oh, and Harold? I want a divorce."

And with that, she walked to Burt's truck, leaving her husband speechless by the door.

When she hopped inside the passenger's seat, Burt turned to look at her, smiling.

"Kate, I think you and I are going to get along great."

* * *

><p>Later that day, Quinn and Santana barged into Carole's diner. The customers turned to look at them but they didn't even notice. Their eyes darted everywhere until they located the booth on the far end. Blaine was sitting next to Kurt and Puck sat across from them. Blaine saw his friends and stood up, waving slowly and looking guilty.<p>

Quinn practically ran towards him. She didn't even notice Puck who attempted to greet her but his words got caught up in his mouth as she ran pass him and straight into Blaine. She hugged Blaine tightly and let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"There you are! Why didn't you call me sooner? I was so freaking scared!" She said stepping back. "Your mom called me last night and I thought you'd come over but you didn't and then I tried calling you but you didn't answer! Do you have any idea how worried I was?"

Blaine looked seriously ashamed and sorry as Quinn continued her rant.

"I even cursed… me! That's how scared I was! And then today, the only thing I get is a text telling me to come to the diner? Are you for real? You just – don't give me that kicked puppy look! You know I can't stand it! And don't smile either – hey! Don't laugh, Blaine Anderson! This isn't funny!"

But Blaine couldn't stop laughing as he hugged his best friend again.

"Ugh, I want to punch that annoyingly handsome face!" Quinn said, trying to keep her disapproving tone but a smile was tugging at her lips.

They held each other and she whispered into his ear, "Are you okay?"

He took in the scent of her hair, snuggling on the crook of her neck and he nodded. They broke apart and smiled at each other. As he turned to look at Santana, he was greeted with a punch in his arm.

"Ow!"

"Quinn warns but never hits. I do the opposite." She said as she also hugged him, smiling in relief.

"I'm really sorry, guys."

"What matters now is that you're okay," Santana responded. She ruffled his hair and smiled at him.

Once the three friends had finished their little conversation, Puck cleared his throat. Quinn turned around and blushed. Santana rolled her eyes and nudged her to sit next to him. Quinn glared at her but took the seat anyway with Santana sitting on her other side. Just as Blaine was about to take a seat as well, the door opened again and in came Burt and his mother.

The moment she saw him; his mom dropped the bags and bolted to his arms. They hugged tightly and she kept murmuring in his ear things like "I'm sorry, Blaine" and "I love you" and "We'll be okay". Burt approached them, with Carole right next to him.

Kate pulled away from her son and caressed his face. She looked at him intently and then kissed his forehead.

"Mom, uh, did Dad – did he say anything… Was – was he mad at you? I-I mean…" Blaine stuttered.

She looked at him and smiled fondly.

"Don't worry about him. It's you and me now, okay?"

He breathed deeply and nodded.

"What are we going to do now?"

"Well… I have some money saved but I'll still have to get a job and look for a place for us. It'll be tough for a while." She explained.

Burt cut in. "Don't worry. You can stay here with us while you find something."

Both of them turned around to face him.

"Oh, no! We don't want to bother you any more than we already have."

"Please, we insist. It's not a bother at all. We love Blaine." Carole answered.

Kate seemed to think it over and then she responded.

"Okay, thank you very, very much. I promise we'll be out of your way as soon as we can."

Kurt stood up at that moment and approached them silently.

"Don't you worry about it," Burt said and he seemed to remember, "Oh, I'm sorry! I forgot my manners. This is my wife, Carole. And this one right here is my son, Kurt. Guys, this is Blaine's mom, Kate Anderson."

Kate and Carole shook hands and then she turned to face Kurt. She smiled at him and took his hand, happy to finally meet the boy that his son had gushed so much about.

"Hi, Kurt. It's a pleasure to finally meet you," she said knowingly. Blaine groaned and blushed deeply. Kurt just crooked an eyebrow in his direction and turned to face Kate.

"The pleasure is entirely mine." He responded smiling charmingly.

Burt spoke up after the time for introductions was over.

"We have one guestroom. It's a bit small so you may be a little cramped."

"It's okay, we'll manage."

But Kurt had a better idea.

"Maybe it'd be best if Blaine stayed with me for the time being. My apartment is rather big and I have a spare room. I can even drive him to school."

Blaine's eyes widened at the proposal and he chanced a glance at his mom. She wasn't buying it.

"I don't know…" she said hesitantly.

"It would be just while we find something, mom. A-and Kurt's house is closer to school so…" Blaine said. He looked at his mom for a moment before turning his head down, blushing slightly.

His mom turned to look at Kurt and then at Blaine. She trusted her son completely but even if Kurt seemed like a lovely guy, she wasn't so sure if she could trust him.

"I – I … okay. But the minute I find a place you're coming with me."

Blaine nodded vehemently. "Thanks, mom," he replied excitedly, "And I'll help you out with that! I'll get a job. I'll look for something!"

"No, Blaine. That's something _I _need to worry about. Your only concern is to focus on school and getting into Parsons."

Blaine gasped. He had forgotten about college applications and fees. It would be terribly hard on his mom.

"But… Parsons – I… It's expensive, mom. Maybe I could look for another option or –"

"No. You want to go to Parsons; you are going to Parsons, Blaine. Don't worry about it, we'll manage."

"Well," Carole said, looking at Blaine, "how about a part time job here? I could always use some extra help at the diner. I'll make sure he gets his homework done, so don't worry about that. "

"Great! Yes!" Blaine exclaimed.

Kate turned to look at Carole. "That would be great. Really, I don't know how to thank you. I-I…" Her eyes swelled up with tears and she hugged Carole who looked surprised for a second before hugging her back.

Throughout the entire exchange, Kurt was lost in his thoughts. Blaine noticed and grabbed his arm.

"What's wrong?"

Kurt smiled at him and shook his head.

"Nothing."

Blaine shrugged and smiled back. He went with his mom who was still crying and thanking Burt and Carole. Quinn, Puck and Santana had also gathered around. Quinn and Santana took turns hugging Kate and Puck started talking to Blaine. Those two seemed to have bonded when Blaine had been over for dinner a couple of nights ago. The topic of their conversation was pretty obvious, since both of them kept chancing glances at Quinn and talking quietly to one another.

Kurt stood there watching the scene before him, his eyes fixed on Blaine. He kept remembering Blaine's face when he said he'd look for cheaper college options. He remembered finding the application on his folder. He remembered seeing Blaine draw and the incredible talent he possessed. It shouldn't be wasted.

He decided he needed to make an important call later that night.

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><p>Blaine and Kurt arrived at the apartment after eating at Carole's diner. They had spent hours there, so by the time they got home, the only thing Blaine wanted to do was sleep.<p>

Kurt wasn't lying to Blaine's mom when he said he had a spare room. He just never actually said her son would be sleeping there. So Blaine got out of his clothes and made his way to Kurt's bed.

Kurt joined him and Blaine snuggled closer to him, resting his head on Kurt's shoulder. They stayed like that until Kurt was certain Blaine had fallen completely asleep. He reached for the night table and grabbed his phone.

His assistant picked up after a few rings.

"Linda? Yes. Sorry to bother you so late but I need you to do something for me. Make the appointment. Yes, that one. Tell them I'm interested in the offer for the clothing line. Yes, I'm sure. Well, they _are_ offering a lot of money for it. Yes, I know it's in New York. Yes, Linda, I know that means I'd have to move there."

He turned to look at Blaine's sleeping face.

"I was counting on that."

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><p><strong>Please review! :D<strong>


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: For the QaF fans, I hope you notice the little "sunshine" reference :)**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.**

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><p>"Blaine! I told you already, if you're going to paint, <em>at least<em> change into some old clothes. I'd hate to see that shirt ruined."

Blaine chuckled and left his brushes on the floor before getting up. He stepped into the bedroom and pulled an old white t-shirt from the drawer. He took his shirt off quickly and changed into the t-shirt before making his way out and to his painting spot on the floor of the living room.

They had moved the couch and the sofa around so he'd have space to paint on the floor whenever he got tired of painting on his easel – the easel Kurt had bought for him a few days after he'd started staying at his place. Kurt had even placed a small table by the window behind the couch where Blaine could keep all his drawing and painting materials. He had made clear from the very beginning his desire to give the younger boy a nice, well-lit space to work on his art. Blaine had refused to let Kurt pay for all those things at first but the only thing that Kurt had asked in return had been drawings and paintings signed just for him. At the end, Blaine had no other choice but to accept the deal.

It'd been almost three weeks since he started living with Kurt and so far it had been perfect. Sure, it had been crazy what with Blaine having to study hard on school, work part time at Carole's diner and practice on his portfolio for college. But, even if he was tired and had a lot on his plate, even if he still felt a pain in his chest whenever he thought of his father, he couldn't help but feel happy whenever he was with Kurt. Their new sort-of-a-couple status had been the most amazing thing that had happened to Blaine in quite a long time. Mornings starting with gentle kisses, drives to school filled with lively conversation, and nights of cuddling and sweet love making.

Blaine smiled to himself. It was _so_ easy to just forget that Kurt was still reluctant to the idea of _love_. The way he treated him, the small actions spoke louder to him than a thousand words. He was almost certain that Kurt felt something – something _strong – _for him and that was enough to keep his mind at ease. Most of the time.

But it didn't last forever. As much as Blaine loved Kurt and was satisfied with whatever he showed him, however he'd let him know he _cared_, there were still those small moments when Blaine would start doubting. When his insecurities and worries about this relationship – if one could call it that – would surface and make him feel so trapped, like he would slowly drown or go insane.

It had started a little over a week ago. Kurt had started arriving home late, looking tired. Sometimes he even smelled like cigarettes and alcohol. Blaine had spent those nights waiting for him and falling asleep on the couch. On nights like that, he would be woken up gently and guided to their bedroom where Kurt would wrap his arms around him and let him fall back asleep on his chest. That was what was driving him mad. The little things. How Kurt could come home late, reeking of alcohol after doing god knows what and yet, he'd still take Blaine and cuddle him up, making him feel loved and protected. Even if he wasn't sure if that's what Kurt wanted him to feel.

And the worst part of it all was knowing that he couldn't say anything. Well, he could but he'd rather not. Every time he heard the door of the apartment open in the middle of the night he just wanted to jump and question Kurt. Ask him where he'd been, with whom, what had he been doing. But he didn't. He held it all in because he felt he had no right to ask those questions. He had been warned and he'd accepted regardless. Even when it felt like he could be eaten up alive by his own thoughts, he had made a decision he now had to live with.

He was pulled out of his reverie by Kurt kneeling down next to him and eyeing his painting over Blaine's shoulder.

"What are you painting today?" he heard Kurt ask as he handed him a glass of water.

"Something abstract?" It sounded more like a question. He took a sip of the glass and left it on the table. "I-I don't really know, I was planning to just… go with the flow."

"Oh, I like the sound of that," Kurt said playfully as he pecked Blaine's lips and got up. He sat on the couch and started going through the designs for the next issue of the magazine. Blaine looked at him work for a moment before returning his attention to the canvas in front of him. He took the brush he was planning on using before Kurt asked him to change his clothes and he smeared the brush with red paint. Just as he was about to start, Kurt spoke casually.

"Oh, Blaine? You think you could come home after work on your own tomorrow? I have some, uh, things that I have to take care of so I can't come pick you up."

There it was again. The monster trapped inside Blaine's gut had awakened at Kurt's words. It twitched inside him, begging him to ask what sort of _things_ Kurt had to do on a Monday that prevented him from picking him up after his shift at the diner. But he silenced it. He breathed deeply to steady his voice before answering with an indifferent tone.

"Sure."

Kurt lifted his eyes to see him, something flashing in his eyes momentarily. Something Blaine couldn't quite name. He tried to smile reassuringly, to make Kurt see that he was truly okay with that. He must have been convincing because Kurt smiled back and dove his attention on the designs in front of him.

Blaine returned his stare to the empty canvas. Sighing, he settled on the floor and started tracing lines.

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><p>The next day, Kurt dropped Blaine at school at the usual time. He got out of the car and inside the building as his eyes searched the crowd for his blond best friend. Upon spotting her, he walked her way and covered her eyes with his hands.<p>

"Blaine," Quinn said knowingly, grabbing his hands and spinning around.

He pouted. "You're supposed to _not_ know who I am!"

"Oh, please! You're the only person I know who does that."

They laughed and made their way to their lockers. For some sort of reason – fate, Quinn liked to call it – their lockers were always close, if not next to each other's. When they got to there, she grabbed the lock nervously and turned to face him.

"Youthink I shoudlinvite Puck tothedance?" She mumbled quickly.

"Come again?" he said as he took his books out and stuffed them in his messenger bag.

Quinn sighed. "I just – I keep thinking… Should I invite Puck as my, uh, my date for the – you know – the Winter Dance?"

Blaine's eyes shot upwards and his mouth formed a perfect 'O' at her words. McKinley had organized its first ever Winter Dance as a way to bring the high school students closer together, no matter what grade they were in. It was also a sort of pre-prom party for the seniors. It was to be held on the last day before winter break, meaning it was only four days away. He'd completely forgotten about it, since he didn't plan on going.

"Eh… Well, yeah! That'd be a great idea! I bet he'll be delighted to be your date."

Quinn blushed a little. "You think so?"

"I know so." Blaine reassured her. She smiled and turned to take out her books from the locker.

"How about you?" She asked, "Are you planning on asking Kurt?"

He closed his locker. "Nah… I'm not in the mood for a dance. Besides, it's not like Kurt would say yes, anyway. He's been… busy."

"Oh, come on! You have to go! We always go to school dances together! You can't break the tradition," she replied and made her puppy eyes at him. Neither of them could stand each other's puppy eyes. They always gave in.

"I-I… Ugh, fine! I'll go."

Quinn squealed and clapped her hands excitedly. "But now you _have _to ask Kurt!"

"What? No! No way. Bringing him with me would be coming out to everyone; which is something I'm sure not many would see with kind eyes. Besides, I don't – I'm sure he wouldn't want to goto a stupid high school dance. Especially if it's held in _here,_" he said thoughtfully, remembering Kurt's nasty experiences in this school.

Quinn frowned confused at that last comment but let it go. "Okay, but say Kurt agreed to come… Would you still go through with it? Or are you really against coming out in front of the entire school?"

"I-I… No, if he said yes I wouldn't give a rat's ass what the others thought."

"Well, then ask him! You've got nothing to lose. But hurry, you've only got four days to convince him," she said with a wink before they made their way to their classes.

At work, Blaine had more time to think about what Quinn had told him. Should he invite Kurt to the dance? He didn't want to make him uncomfortable, especially since the place held horrible memories to Kurt. He sighed, he could at least _try_. The sound of the bells indicating the arrival of a new customer brought him back to his task at hand. He turned to the door and found Finn walking towards him, smiling broadly.

"What's up, bro?" The taller man said, bumping his fist against Blaine's.

"Nothing much. What can I get you, big guy?" he answered as Finn took a seat on one of the stools.

"The hamburger special, with extra fries and an extra big milkshake. Man, I'm starving!"

Blaine rolled his eyes playfully. "You're _always_ starving," he said as he placed the order by the kitchen window and returned to where Finn was.

Finn smiled at the boy. They'd gotten really close during the past few weeks. Finn could easily consider Blaine his best friend, even with the age difference. They were really similar and liked the same dorky stuff. And it was physically impossible to _not _like Blaine. The kid was like sunshine, always happy and smiling, even when life threw rocks at him, he'd see the bright side in it. Besides, Finn still wasn't over the fact that he'd proven his parents and Rachel wrong by showing them that Blaine was Wonder Boy when it came to Kurt. The nickname had stayed inside his family ever since his parents noticed the way Kurt acted around him.

As he saw the boy delivering orders and attending tables, he remembered the reason he'd drop by. Although it was always good to stop and say hi to his mom, today his visit revolved another issue entirely. When Blaine delivered his order, Finn grabbed his wrist and looked at him, his expression suddenly serious.

"Hey, dude? I need your help with something. Something big."

Blaine frowned and nodded. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. It's just – I… well," he sighed deeply, mustering courage to say the words that had been stealing his sleep out loud. "I'm planning to pop the question to Rachel soon."

Blaine's eyes widened, filled with a bright spark. His smile was so big and it brightened his entire face in such a way that the simile of him being like a ray of sunshine suddenly made much more sense. He sighed dreamily.

"Oh my god! That's so awesome! I'm so happy for you guys! But what do you need me for?"

Finn laughed at the kid's enthusiasm. "Well, I'm planning on making it in front of everyone and I want it to be perfect. And I need the ring to be perfect too, but I suck at picking out jewelry. And I heard your mom tell my mom the other day that whenever you got her something like that, it was always awesome. So I thought I could use your help."

"Well, I don't know if I'm _that_ good. I just sort of paid attention to what she stared at when we went to the mall and then I'd ask my – my dad," his voice faltered for a moment but he cleared his throat quickly, "for uh, money and well, that's it."

"That's exactly what I need you for, then! My mind is always wandering so I never get to truly pay attention and if I do, I forget. So I was thinking we could maybe hang out, you know? You, me, Rachel and Kurt and you could help me check out what she likes."

"Oh, yeah! Totally, I'd love to help!" Blaine said excitedly.

"Awesome!" Finn said as he proceeded to eat his meal.

Blaine nodded and went back to taking orders. He smiled as he recalled how Finn had basically asked for a double date. Like if Kurt and him were truly in a serious, committed _relationship_. Just like Finn and Rachel.

* * *

><p>Kurt arrived at the apartment past midnight. He shrugged out of his coat and just as he was about to put it in the couch like he usually did, he noticed that the bedroom light was still on. He cracked open the door and found Blaine reading a book. When he heard the sound of the door opening, Blaine looked up and smiled at him.<p>

"Hi!" he greeted him happily, setting his book open on his chest.

"Hi. What are you doing up?" he said as he loosen his tie and came to sit on the edge of the bed next to the boy's lying figure, placing his hand on the other side of Blaine's legs.

"Oh, I need to finish reading this for a pop quiz I have tomorrow. And I wanted to talk to you about something."

He sat down and placed his bookmark on the page he was currently reading before leaving the book on the night-stand.

"It's something really silly. You have every right to refuse. I know it could stir up some old, unwanted memories and I get that! So, you know, I'm not forcing you or anything. I'm just doing this because Quinn forced me, she gave me the puppy eyes and I just couldn't – "

"Blaine." Kurt said softly, "You're rambling, baby. What did you want to ask me?"

Blaine didn't miss the term of endearment in Kurt's phrase but figured he did it unconsciously. It didn't stop his heart from swelling up a bit, though. He inhaled deeply and smiled.

"I'm sorry. It's just – it really is something silly. The school is organizing a Winter Dance and Quinn wanted to ask Puck to be her date and she asked me to go too and well, I was wondering if _you'd _like to be _my _date."

Kurt seemed surprised at the proposal and licked his lips as he thought it over. Before he could answer, Blaine started talking again.

"Like I said, if you don't want to, it's okay. I mean – I know you must not want to go back there after… the, uh, what happened and the, uh, memories and everything." he cleared his throat loudly, "So I totally understand if you don't want to go. I just thought I'd ask and see what you – "

Kurt's lips silenced Blaine's rant. He pulled away smiling and rested their foreheads together.

"You're adorable when you start rambling." Blaine blushed deeply at the comment and lowered his gaze.

"Sorry." He mumbled and Kurt laughed softly.

"As much as I'd love to go with you to a party full of drunk, stupid teenagers, you're right. I'm not sure if I'd like to actually go back inside that school. But I'll tell you what; I'll think about it, okay?"

"Yeah, totally. There's no pressure, really. I know it must be hard. So just – yeah, take your time."

Kurt smiled and leaned in for another kiss before standing up and changing into his pajamas. He slid next to Blaine as the boy resumed his reading. Once he was settled, he pulled Blaine onto him like he usually did and let him rest his head on his chest as he continued reading. He started stroking his curls when Blaine placed the book down again.

"And, uh, what did you have to do that kept you out so late today?"

"Hmm? Oh, you know, work things. Nothing important."

"Oh, okay."

Kurt continued stroking his curls and Blaine pulled the book and tried to pick up on where he'd left off but he could still feel the uneasiness tugging at his chest because of Kurt's vague answer. Was he telling the truth? Or was he just covering up one of his affairs? Had he cheated on Blaine yet? His head started spinning at the thoughts and he forced himself to stop. He had promised himself he'd trust Kurt until he actually found something that proved he'd been cheating or fooling around,

_'Let it go, Blaine.'_ He thought to himself as he focused his attention back on the words from the book before him. _'Let it go.'_

* * *

><p>Friday came and Kurt had still not given Blaine a concrete answer for the dance so he figured Kurt wasn't going. When he'd told Quinn, she immediately started going on about how she'd cancel with Puck and go with him instead.<p>

"No way! Puck would kill me!" he had told her. "Besides, it's not a big deal. I'll just go, dance a little, talk some more and then go back home. It'll be okay."

Quinn hadn't been too convinced but at least he'd stopped her from standing Puck up. Santana had also offered to be his date but he could tell she wanted to go with someone else. He'd seen her spending way too much time with her fellow Cheerio, Brittany. He knew there was something weird going on there, even when Santana hadn't told them anything. He refused her offer and told her to ask whoever she truly wanted to take. He didn't mind arriving dateless to the dance; it wasn't like he was going to stay long after all.

Carole gave him the day off so he could get ready, so he arrived home early and took a shower. He then started getting ready. He slicked his hair in his usual hairdo and fixed his tux. He stared at his reflection on the mirror and nodded, satisfied. He looked quite dapper. He smiled to himself and got out of the apartment.

He'd promised his friends he'd meet them at the entrance so they could all go in together. When he got to the school, he found Quinn and Puck were already there. He greeted them and they settled to wait for Santana and her date. Blaine was almost certain it would be Brittany and when they arrived, he wasn't disappointed. She tried to get away under the excuse that he'd rejected her offer and every other guy had been taken so they had decided to go together as "friends". Quinn and Blaine shared a quick, knowing glance but didn't say anything.

Once they were all set, they entered the gym and were surprised at the beautiful decorations. Everything was covered in fake, white snow. Silver and white dominated the scene and there were paper snowflakes hanging from the ceiling. It looked like a winter wonderland. There were already people dancing, with some others talking on the sides or seated at their tables.

They all made their way to one of the empty tables and took their seats. Blaine felt a little uncomfortable, being the only one without a date but he shrugged the feeling out and went to get a drink. Quinn followed him.

"Are you sure you're okay with this? I just don't want you to feel awkward or left out."

Blaine took a sip of his drink before answering. "Quinn, I told you, it's okay. Look, there are a lot of guys and girls here that seem to have come without a date. I'll be fine."

Just as Quinn was about to protest, the song changed, moving on to one with more beat. Blaine left his drink on the table and turned to face her.

"You think Puck would mind if I steal you away just for this song?"

She smiled at him. "Not at all."

He grabbed her hand and they made their way to the dance floor. They started dancing, making silly moves and laughing at and with each other. The song was almost about to end and Blaine spun Quinn around. He pulled her close and hugged her. When he was about to pull away, she gasped loudly. He looked at her with a concerned expression but she wasn't looking at him. Her eyes were fixed at something behind her. He turned his head around to find Kurt, dressed up in a black suit and purple tie, standing in the gym's entrance.

Blaine inhaled sharply and felt himself being dragged away from the dance floor by Quinn. Once they came out of the sea of people, Kurt was able to spot them. He made his way towards them, earning quite a few curious glances from the rest of the kids. He stopped in front of Blaine. Both were so immerse in each other, they failed to notice Quinn making her way to their table, a big smile on her face.

"Kurt," Blaine breathed.

"You came."

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><p><strong>Reviews light my world like a mutha' fuckin' lamp!<strong>


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Okay, for the ones familiar with QaF, it may be a little predictable. Some even asked if I was going to do this differently, but trust me when I say what happens is of extreme relevance to later chapters. **

**And now, sit back, relax, and most importantly... enjoy! ;)**

**I love you and am so thankful for each and every review and reader. You guys keep this story and its amateur writer going!**

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><p>"<em>Kurt." Blaine breathed. "You came."<em>

"No shit, Sherlock."

Kurt's tone was sarcastic but his eyes had a glow to them and a small smile was trying to break free. It was obvious he was happy. Blaine knew he was just trying to hide again under the snarky remarks and asshole demeanor. Trying to show emotion was still difficult for him, especially after years of pretending to be numb and Blaine knew that. So he just laughed, shaking his head lightly and grabbed Kurt's arm.

"Come on, our table's over here."

He led them to where the rest of their friends where. Quinn had already filled them in, for when they arrived at the table, everyone was looking at them with knowing smiles. Well, everyone except Brittany, who looked rather confused. Blaine was about to sit down when another song started playing and Kurt grabbed his hand.

"Kurt? What – "

"We're dancing," he stated simply as he dragged Blaine to the center of the dance floor.

Blaine could see the confused faces of his fellow classmates as the lyrics of the new song filled the room.

_You can dance-every dance with the guy  
>Who gives you the eye,let him hold you tight<br>You can smile-every smile for the man  
>Who held your hand neath the pale moon light<br>But don't forget who's takin' you home  
>And in whose arms you're gonna be<br>So darlin' save the last dance for me_

Kurt faced him and grabbed his waist with one hand and took his hand with the other.

"Let's give them a show they'll never forget."

Blaine was gaping at him, trying his hardest to suppress the smile that was pulling at his lips. Kurt winked at him as he led the way, making them sway gracefully around the dance floor. No one else was dancing for everyone was either too shocked or too disgusted to make a move. Quinn, Puck, Brittany and Santana were watching the little show too, but were one of the few – if not the only ones – that stared at the scene displaying in front of them with smiles on their faces.

Quinn noticed the looks on the kids around her and decided to take matters into her own hands, to help ease the tension and stop the jocks from throwing nasty glances at her best friend. She turned to face Puck and circled her arms on his shoulders. Puck got the message instantly and they began to dance too. Santana grabbed Brittany and they started dancing goofily. Although there were still some curious and disturbed beholders, people seemed to relax upon seeing the two Cheerios dancing together just like Blaine and Kurt were. Slowly, other couples began following their lead, but the center of the stage still belonged to the two boys who were so caught up in each other's presence, they failed to notice the effect and consequences their actions had brought on.

Blaine was all laughs and smiles as he let himself be led by Kurt. He had to admit the older boy was an excellent dancer. The way they were swaying to the rhythm of the music made him feel like they were floating on clouds. All he could see or feel was Kurt. He was drowning in his presence and he felt like it was only the two of them in the room. Kurt's eyes were fixed on his face too and when Blaine laughed, he'd smile back at him, his eyes glowing with glee and what looked like – dare Blaine think it – _love. _

Suddenly, Kurt pulled Blaine closer, tightening his hold on Blaine's waist as he pulled him up and whirled him around in a small, fast spin. Blaine threw his head back and laughed lightly, pleasantly surprised at Kurt's strength. Kurt smiled broadly at him and before he put him down, he leaned in and kissed the younger boy deeply.

In the back of his head, Blaine thought he heard some surprised gasps but he didn't care. He kissed Kurt back earnestly as the song came to an end.

_So don't forget who's taking you home  
>Or in whose arms you're gonna be<br>So darling, Save the last dance for me_

_Oh baby won't you save the last dance for me_  
><em>Oh baby won't you promise that you'll save,<em>  
><em>The last dance for me<em>  
><em>Save the last dance, the very last dance for me.<em>

They rested their foreheads together, breathing heavily. Blaine had his eyes closed and when he opened them he was greeted with Kurt's blue-green eyes staring back at him with a sly smile on his face. Blaine returned the smile and sighed before closing his eyes once again.

"I think they _definitely _won't forget this," he offered softly and he heard Kurt chuckle.

They pulled apart and made their way back to their table, successfully ignoring the looks they received along the way.

"Okay, I may still not like you but _that_ was awesome," Santana told Kurt when she and Brittany also returned to the table.

Kurt scoffed and rolled his eyes, wrapping an arm around Blaine and pulling him closer. Blaine smiled and turned to look at Kurt.

"Thank you for doing this," Blaine rested his forehead on the side of Kurt's face, "you know, coming here."

"Yeah, well… be thankful I didn't have anything better to do."

Blaine's lips pulled into a small smile. Both of them knew Kurt was lying and had actually showed up because he _wanted _to be there with Blaine, even when the place held horrible memories for him.

"Right," Blaine breathed as he let his head rest on Kurt's shoulder.

The rest of the evening went by rather nicely. Their table was filled with conversation and laughter. Quinn and Puck got up to dance to almost every song and it was glaringly obvious that they weren't "just friends" anymore. Blaine smiled as he saw his best friend dance goofily with her date.

"You know, I've never seen Puck like that," Kurt commented.

Blaine turned to face him. "How?"

"Like _that_ – all smiley and romantic. He really cares for her."

"He _loves_ her," Blaine corrected as he pushed Kurt's shoulder lightly. The older boy just rolled his eyes and Blaine smiled.

He eyed the dance floor and noticed Brittany and Santana had also gotten up to dance while they were talking quietly. The girls kept spinning around and laughing. Blaine had to remember to ambush Santana about this when they got together during their winter break.

He and Kurt also danced some more with their friends but they were mostly at their table, talking. Blaine failed to notice the jocks talking quietly to one another, their eyes never leaving the two boys sitting alone at their table. They were the same jocks Blaine had been in amiable terms with, since they thought he and Quinn were dating, the ones that had even gone as far as inviting Blaine to join the football team. Their looks weren't so friendly anymore after they witnessed their little show in the dance floor and were now watching the way Kurt had his arm around Blaine and kept stealing kisses from him when they thought no one was watching.

It was almost 1 o'clock in the morning when Kurt said he was tired and wanted to leave. He told Blaine he could stay if he wanted to but the boy had refused the offer, wanting to go home as well. After all, he had just agreed to attend the dance because of Quinn. They stood up and said their goodbyes. As they walked towards the entrance, Blaine reached out and took Kurt's hand. Their fingers laced and they stepped out of the gym.

They didn't notice the jocks leaving their table one by one and following them.

* * *

><p>As they walked through the halls that led to the school entrance, Kurt pulled Blaine's hand that was attached to his to bring him closer to him. Blaine smiled as they wrapped their arms around each other. Kurt stared at Blaine's eyes for a moment before leaning in and kissing him lightly.<p>

Blaine giggled and grabbed Kurt's hand again, stepping outside the school building and into the cold December night. He turned to see Kurt who grabbed his coat and pulled him close once more.

"Had fun?" he asked against Blaine's lips.

"Definitely," Blaine breathed, closing his eyes.

"Well, brace yourself for even _more _fun when we get home."

Blaine's heart fluttered when he heard Kurt say home. _Their home. _His face broke into a wide grin.

"Oh. What do you have in mind?" he responded with a flirty tone. Kurt kissed him and mumbled against his lips.

"Several things."

"Hmm…"

They pulled apart and Kurt eyed the parking lot.

"Wait here. I'll go get the car."

"We're in a _school_ parking lot, Kurt. There's no need to wait for you here when I can just walk with you."

"Oh, fuck you. I parked it far away! I'm trying to be a gentleman here," Kurt supplied, trying to look offended but smiling nonetheless.

"_Trying_ being the key word," he smirked at Kurt and sighed dramatically. "Fine, I'll wait here… alone… in the cold."

Kurt laughed and started walking through the parked cars. When Blaine couldn't spot him anymore he breathed heavily, wrapping his arms around himself to try to warm himself up. He heard footsteps behind him and he turned around to see a couple also leaving and making their way to their car. He smiled politely as they passed by.

He heard footsteps again and this time he didn't bother to turn and see who it was. But he should have because this time he was shoved hard, making him stumble and almost fall down.

"What the fuck – "

As he turned to see who his aggressor was, he was greeted with a punch directed at his left eye. He fell down and his face hit the cold cement hard. He could hear laughter above him.

"Fucking fag!"

"Who would have thought it, Anderson?"

The voices sounded familiar, so very familiar but Blaine still felt disoriented from the punch he'd received and the hit his head had gotten from falling down. Dizziness took over and he suddenly felt sick. He tried to lift himself up but one of his attackers stopped him by kicking him in the stomach. The rest soon joined him and Blaine was getting kicked in every part of his body. He screamed in pain as he felt something crack inside him.

Everything happened in the span of 2 minutes but to Blaine it felt like an eternity. He could taste the blood in his mouth and everything was turning black. In the back of his mind he kept wondering why Kurt took so long and begged for him to show up and make them stop, make the pain _stop_. As if on cue, a loud yell broke the sound of laughter and Blaine's groans of pain.

"HEY! What the fuck are you doing?"

Kurt's voice sounded furious and Blaine heard the car door slam shut. His attackers scrambled around, running away. Kurt wanted to run after them but Blaine's broken body on the cement stopped him. He knelt down and tried to pull Blaine up.

"No, no, no. Blaine! Come on! Talk to me, Blaine!"

Blaine groaned in response. His eye had started to swell and his lip was cut and bleeding deeply.

"Shit!"

He pulled his phone out and dialed 911. After they'd said the ambulance was on his way, he hung up and pulled Blaine into his arms. People had heard the screams and noise and where beginning to gather around him. Quinn and Puck were getting out when they saw the mob in front of the entrance and as they approached the scene, Quinn was able to distinguish a painfully familiar set of curls. She screamed and tried to make her way to the boy lying in Kurt's arms. Puck held her as she yelled frantically to let her go.

The sirens from the ambulance began to fill the air as they took a turn and parked in front of the entrance. The paramedics got out and reached them, immediately working on Blaine. Kurt got up and stared at them.

They asked a few questions, to which Kurt responded, his voice sounding distant even to him. They accommodated Blaine in the stretcher and made their way back to the ambulance. He followed them and was about to hop on when Quinn ran towards him, trying to ride with them too. The paramedics said only one was allowed to travel with the patient and Puck tugged her gently, saying they'd follow the ambulance in Kurt's car, since they didn't bring a car of their own. Kurt handed him the keys and settled next to Blaine.

On their way to the hospital, he pulled out his phone. He noticed his hands were shaking terribly and held them close to his chest as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath to steady himself. This was not the time to break down. Once he had calmed a bit, he dialed his father's number, hoping Blaine's mom was already with them.

As soon as Burt picked up the phone, Kurt spilled everything, rushing and stumbling with his own words. Burt had to stop him several times and ask him to repeat the things he said in order to understand him. When he finished, Burt told him they'd be on their way and hung up the phone.

The ambulance got to the hospital rather quickly and soon enough, Blaine was rushed to the ER. The doctors asked Kurt for Blaine's information, medical background and what had happened. He tried to answer as best as he could and when they finished questioning him, they left him there, feeling completely powerless as he saw them take care of Blaine. He looked down at his clothes covered in Blaine's blood and shuddered.

Quinn and Puck arrived two minutes later. She looked around, her face wearing an almost crazy expression. Kurt walked towards them and told them Blaine was already being taken care of. She seemed to relax but she looked like a mess. Her mascara was all over her face from the tears that had fallen while they drove to the hospital. They sat down in the waiting room. Puck was uncharacteristically quiet, Quinn was crying silently and Kurt just felt _broken. _

Flashes from his own beating came rushing back, making him wince. Anger coiled in his chest and he wanted nothing more than to return to that parking lot and look for the fuckers who had done this. But he couldn't and he didn't. Because Blaine was there and he needed to know he was going to be okay. So he did the only thing he could at the moment: wait.

Fifteen minutes later, his parents and Kate came rushing in. She looked completely panicked and she attacked Kurt with questions. Again, Kurt tried to recall what had happened and as he did, he could see anger twist his father's features as both Carole's and Kate's eyes were filled with tears.

After some time of waiting, a doctor came into the waiting room. They all stood up upon seeing him.

"Mrs. Anderson?" the doctor called as he checked the file.

"Yes?" came the shaky response.

"You're Blaine's mom?" Kate nodded, "I'm Dr. Collins. Your son is okay, he took quite a beat but no major damage was made. He's got two broken ribs but fortunately they didn't puncture his lungs. He took quite a blow to the head, possibly from falling into the cement floor, but we stopped the bleeding. He needed some stitches. He woke up and is being responsive but I'd like to run a CT scan just to be sure there isn't any brain damage."

"Yes, a-anything you need to – just, yes."

The doctor nodded. "You may come in to see him, if you want. I'd like to keep him here for observation for a day or two."

"Okay."

Dr. Collins smiled reassuringly. "He's a tough guy, he'll be fine."

He led her to Blaine's room. When she disappeared with the doctor, Kurt stood up, his eyes bright with anger.

"I'm going to go back and find the little assholes that did this!"

Burt also stood up.

"Kurt, calm down."

"The fuck I will! I'm gonna fucking _kill _them!"

"Kurt…"

"They won't get away with this, I swear they won't. Not this time!"

Burt's heart broke at that last sentence. He knew his son was reliving his own experience. He came closer to him and wrapped his arms around him. Kurt struggled under his grasp, cursing and threatening to find Blaine's attackers.

"We'll find them, Kurt. They won't get away with this."

Kurt started to relax in his arms and he sighed deeply. They pulled apart and turned around to see the desk at the front door. A familiar voice was talking rapidly.

"Blaine Anderson… No, I'm not family – "

"Finn, Rachel," Burt called after them and relief washed over their faces as they spotted him.

"Burt," Finn hugged him. "Is he okay?"

"He will be."

Finn nodded and Rachel looked past Burt's shoulder.

"Is – how's Kurt?" she inquired quietly.

"He's… upset." Burt offered as his face turned around and eyed his son.

He was pacing and biting his nails. Looking at him like that, Burt could see the ghost of his little boy. The boy he'd lost – or thought he did – to an accident rather similar to this one.

He could only hope that they didn't lose Blaine like that, too.

* * *

><p>Kate came out of Blaine's room after a while. They all gathered around her when she entered the waiting room. She looked at everyone's questioning looks.<p>

"He's okay. He was still awake but the meds are probably going to make him drift off soon. But, Kurt," she turned to face him, "he was asking for you."

Kurt lifted his head a little in acknowledgement. He nodded slowly and cleared his throat.

"I'm just gonna –" He pointed to the hall that led to Blaine's room and started walking towards it.

"I need to call Santana," Quinn suddenly said. "I talked to her on the way here but she didn't bring a car either and she hadn't notice what went down until we were on our way and I just – she was worried _sick_."

She placed a comforting hand on Kate's shoulder before stepping out of the room to call her friend. Kate sighed and closed her eyes. Carole came to her side and hugged her.

"Are you okay?"

Kate opened her eyes and smiled faintly at Carole.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I should – I need to call Harold."

She pulled her phone out and left the room as well, leaving the Hudmels – and Rachel in the waiting room.

Kurt closed the door quietly behind him as he stared at Blaine's body lying in the hospital bed. His eyes were closed and for a moment Kurt feared he was already asleep but he opened his eyes slowly and turned to see Kurt. His left eye was swollen and purple and Kurt flinched at the sight.

"Hi," Blaine said hoarsely.

Kurt took a step closer to the bed and shifted uncomfortably. He didn't know what to do, or say for that matter. The only thing he could think to say was –

"You look like shit."

Blaine was about to laugh when he winced in pain, his jaw clutching tightly.

"Shit! I'm sorry. I shouldn't – you shouldn't talk… I –"

"Kurt…"

Kurt's mouth snapped shut and he locked eyes with the younger boy.

"Don't – don't blame yourself, okay? It's not your fault."

Kurt turned his face at Blaine's words. For some reason, Blaine could always tell what he was thinking. He pursed his lips as the anger he'd felt before returned to him.

"Are you okay?"

Kurt's neck turned to face him so fast, he was sure he heard something crack.

"You're – are you kidding me? _You_ are asking _me _if _I'm _okay? Are you sure you didn't suffer any brain damage?"

Blaine smiled at him.

"I just – I thought this whole thing might have woken some repressed memories. You know, from that, uh, that day."

Kurt's jaw might have easily fallen to the floor. This was too much, even for Blaine. He was putting Kurt first. He was the one lying in the bed after being beaten up by some ignorant little brats and yet his first concern was to know if his incident hadn't affected Kurt.

Kurt shook his head and smiled faintly.

"You're unbelievable," he stepped closer and lowered his face to meet Blaine's lips in a soft, quick kiss. Blaine hummed in response and when Kurt pulled away, he noticed how Blaine's eyelids were beginning to close.

"Get some sleep."

"Mmkay."

He turned to see the boy drifting to sleep before he stepped out of the room. He walked back to the waiting room to find Blaine's dad standing there, asking questions like a mad man to his wife – _ex _-wife? Kurt wondered – and demanding to see the doctor that had looked after Blaine.

"Harold, calm down, he's okay."

"Well, I want to see him! What room is he in? I want to talk to him, Kate."

"He's asleep." Kurt interrupted.

Everyone's eyes turned to look at him.

"Who – who are _you_?" Blaine's father asked him.

"Kurt Hummel. I'm Blaine's… friend."

Harold frowned but then seemed to understand the message behind Kurt's words. He breathed sharply, attempting to control his anger. Kurt could tell he was trying. He only wished it hadn't taken Blaine being almost beaten to death to get him to see the light.

"Hello, Kurt," he said in a strained voice and turned to see his wife. "I don't care if he's asleep; just tell me where he is, Kate. I need to see my boy."

Kate showed him the way and Kurt watched them go inside Blaine's room. Burt approached him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"It's gonna be okay, kiddo."

Kurt turned to watch his father's face before returning his attention back to Blaine's closed door.

"I hope so."

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><p><strong>I tried my best to make the medical things sound real with what I researched. I hope it was!<strong>

**Please review? :)**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Happy New Year everyone! **

**Disclaimer: GLEE Y U NO MINE?  
><strong>

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><p>Blaine opened his eyes slowly, adjusting them to the blinding light. He tried to change his lying position and was greeted with intense pain in his chest. Then he remembered. He'd been beaten outside the school as he waited for Kurt to get the car. They had broken his ribs and he had hit his head falling down from one of their blows. He groaned at the pain and the memories and in a heartbeat, his mother was by his side.<p>

"Blaine, honey, are you in pain? Do you want me to call the nurse?"

Blaine couldn't answer; his mind was focusing on breathing in and out without feeling too much pain. He tried to get up and his mother understood what he wanted. She helped him and rearranged his pillows so he could lean back against them. He was panting when he finally was able to lift himself and change to a seating position. His ribcage hurt like hell and he had a slight headache. He closed his eyes for a moment and controlled his breathing. His eyelids felt heavy and his body demanded more sleep but he didn't want to black out again. He didn't even know how long he'd been sleeping since he had talked to Kurt and he'd told him to get some rest.

"It's okay, buddy."

Blaine froze. He willed his eyes to open up completely - as open as was possible with one of his them swollen - and turned his head towards the voice that had just spoken. His father was there, worry deeply inked in his features. It seemed like he hadn't been sleeping for weeks, the bags on his face pronounced and purple looking.

"What – " he cleared his throat, "what are you doing here?"

Before his father could answer him, Kate spoke up.

"I think I'll go get the nurse."

She walked out of the room and for a moment, neither of the men spoke. Blaine was fully awake now and his gaze was fixed in the hands folded in his lap.

"I'm so sorry, Blaine," his father's voice sounded so broken, so honestly regretful.

Blaine tried to swallow the lump that was forming on his throat. He didn't trust himself to speak so he just nodded quickly. His father came closer to the bed and grabbed one of his hands.

"Blaine, look at me."

His eyes were already filled with tears, making his vision blurry, when he turned to face his father.

"I was an asshole and I treated you so horribly that you – I don't expect you to forgive me but I'll try my hardest for you to do so. I love you, Blaine and I should not let anything, anything at all, make me lose sight of that. And I'm sorry it took almost losing you to make me realize that. But perhaps, I had lost you way before this."

Blaine shook his head and pursed his lips as tears started falling. A gentle hand wiped them away. God, he'd missed those hands. He'd missed his dad.

"Y-you di-didn't lose me, dad. I-I kept hoping you would… that I c-could make you l-love me again."

His dad's eyes softened and he caressed Blaine's face. Blaine immediately leaned into the touch.

"Oh, buddy. I never stopped loving you. I just – I let prejudice blind me. I let ignorance get the best of me. I've never been as open-minded as your mom is and it was – it still is – a bit difficult for me to understand. But I can _accept_ and I will. I failed you once; I'm not doing it again. I just need you to be a little bit patient with me."

Blaine took a deep breath. He had hoped his dad would come around after he kicked him out but as time went by and nothing happened, he started to lose that hope. And now his father was here, saying all the things Blaine had wanted to hear when he came out to him. He still was upset that he had to be beaten up to get his dad to say those things but he figured it was better late than never.

"I-I… yeah but, um, I think you'll have to be patient with me too. I really mean it when I say that you didn't lose me, b-but I – it still _hurts_, you know?"

His father closed his eyes and gave a small nod.

"One step at a time."

Blaine smiled.

"One step at a time."

His mother returned in that moment with the nurse that immediately set out to give him something to ease the pain. Dr. Collins entered behind them, followed by a police officer. Blaine raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Mom… what's going on?"

Before she could answer him, Dr. Collins spoke up.

"Hello, Blaine. How are you feeling?"

"Like I just got hit by a train or – you know – like I just got my ass kicked."

The doctor laughed and turned to point at the officer standing by the door.

"This is Officer Miller; he wants to ask you some questions about what happened."

"Oh, um, okay."

Officer Miller entered the room and smiled kindly at Blaine.

"Hello, Blaine."

"Hello, officer."

The next hour was spent with the two of them discussing what happened and what Blaine remembered. He felt he wasn't of much help since he didn't get to see the face of his attackers and when they had yelled at him, he was dizzy so he wasn't completely sure if the voices belonged to the faces his mind had imagined. Officer Miller was very patient and gentle and kept reassuring him that they would not get away with this. He told the Andersons that they were going to check for the cameras from inside the school to identify the offenders and after that, he left.

By the time their conversation ended, Blaine was feeling tired again. His parents helped him settle on the bed again and he drifted off.

Days later, Blaine was discharged and left the hospital. His mother and Carole had agreed that since he still felt intense pain in his ribcage from time to time, he should stay at Burt and Carole's where someone would always be around in case he needed anything. Finn, Rachel, Burt, Carole and his own mother would take turns taking care of him. Blaine had said that it was completely unnecessary for everyone to spend so much time looking after him when he was perfectly capable of being on his own, but they had insisted.

Blaine had no other choice let but to agree. His father had stood there awkwardly during the entire debate and Blaine felt bad for him. He really hoped they could sort out their little bump in the road and get back to being as close as they once were.

He sighed and rested his forehead on the glass of the car window. He missed Kurt. He hadn't seen him in a few days. At first, Blaine had been scared. He feared his attack would trigger enough horrible memories for Kurt to pull away and never see him again. But he didn't. He came back the day after officer Miller had showed up and he'd spent some time with Blaine but when he was about to leave he told him he'd be busy with some projects for work and getting Blaine's personal items from his place to his parents', where he would stay for the next few weeks.

When they got to the Hummel's home, Blaine's eyes settled on the Porsche parked at the entrance. Were it not for his broken ribs, he would have jumped out of the car and run inside the house to look for the owner. But he had to wait and slowly get out of the car and into the house. Kurt and Rachel were standing in the threshold. She walked slowly towards him and pulled him into a gentle hug.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Blaine," she said into his ear before kissing his cheek.

"Thanks, Rach," he smiled into her hair.

He really liked Rachel, even if she sometimes was a little self-absorbed, she was a wonderful person and every time he saw her he got all excited just thinking of Finn's plans of popping the question.

"Let him breath, Rachel."

Blaine's heart began to beat faster as Rachel pulled away and his sight was filled with chestnut hair and blue eyes. A playful smile was plastered in Kurt's face as he neared him.

"Looking handsome," Kurt pointed at Blaine's healing eye that still had some sensitive, swollen spots to it.

Blaine snorted but smiled nonetheless. Kurt placed a hand on his cheek and his smile faded.

"You're okay?" he asked softly.

Blaine nodded and smiled broadly. Kurt frowned slightly and Blaine thought he saw something flash in his eyes but it was gone in a heartbeat, before he could figure out what it was. Kurt returned the smile and kissed him.

Carole cleared her throat behind them and they pulled apart. Kate had her hand on her mouth and was trying to suppress her laughter. Blaine blushed deeply but Kurt remained unfazed.

"I think Blaine could use some rest," Carole offered, looking at Blaine.

He sighed exasperated. He didn't want to rest or sleep anymore but his own body demanded it from him. He wanted to be awake and with Kurt but his eyelids said otherwise.

"Yeah, you're right," Kurt said as he tugged Blaine's arm and led him upstairs.

They walked into one of the bedrooms. Blaine whistled softly when they entered. It was beautifully decorated and filled with some posters from Broadway plays and articles from fashion magazines. Every piece of decoration reminded him of Kurt's apartment. He was glad to see at least that part of the older boy had remained intact after everything he'd been through in his life.

"This is – we're in your old room, aren't we?"

Kurt nodded and sat on the edge of the bed. He removed his shoes and laid back completely before opening his arms to Blaine, who was awkwardly standing by the door, not sure of what to do.

"Come here."

Blaine gladly joined him and wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist. He turned to look at him and both leaned in to kiss each other. Blaine tried to deepen the kiss but Kurt pulled away.

"Someone's eager… but if you think I'm going to fuck you while your ribs are still healing you are stupid. Now go to sleep."

Blaine groaned. He had a severe cause of sexual frustration. He missed Kurt's touch, missed being close to him like that and he was being cockblocked by his own body. Kurt chuckled at Blaine's exasperation.

"Once you're okay I'm going to fuck you senseless, I promise," his tone was playful, like he was actually joking. Blaine wasn't.

"I'm taking your word for it," Blaine mumbled, his eyelids closing. He nuzzled his head on Kurt's neck and tightened his hold on the older boy's waist. He felt safe and at home in Kurt's arms.

He went to sleep with a smile on his face.

* * *

><p>On Christmas' Eve the air was filled with the delicious smells of the meal they would all soon taste. The house was full with people. Finn and Rachel had arrived around 2 o'clock. Carole and Kate were in the kitchen from the moment they got up, chatting excitedly and getting everything ready for their Christmas dinner. Burt had been watching old football games with Blaine in the living room and Kurt arrived a little after Finn and Rachel. Blaine's dad had been invited over as well. He was the last to get there and at first, it had been an awkward encounter but after apologizing to Burt and the entire Hummel-Hudson family, they all settled into the Christmas mood.<p>

Blaine felt slightly better, although there were still certain movements or positions that would make his insides hurt. Other than that, he was perfectly okay. His eye had completely healed and even if there were still some rare nights where he would get up in the middle of the night after having a nightmare, he had completely forgotten the whole incident.

Blaine wasn't the type to hold grudges or let the bad things get to him. He had understood that his attack had been out of prejudice, ignorance and intolerance. He knew those were things he'd have to live with because of who he is and even if he didn't like it, he didn't let it affect him either. Kurt had been amazed at this and had been even more affectionate towards him. He didn't complain, of course, but still there were times when Kurt would look and act distant and Blaine feared he was reliving his own experiences because of Blaine's.

He didn't comment on it, especially after they had caught his three attackers. As it turned out, it had been the jocks Blaine had thought of a first. They had caught them by looking through the security cameras inside the school. The hearing would be in a few days and Blaine was definitely _not _looking forward to it. Kurt was determined to get them in jail or juvie, since two of them were underage. Blaine knew they would all probably get away with just some time of community service but he was smart enough to not tell Kurt.

He snapped out of his train of thought. Today was not a day to spend thinking of ugly things. He got inside the kitchen and asked if he could help with anything. When both women said that everything was ready, he turned to see the clock. His eyes widened when he realized it was already time for dinner. Time had flown by.

His mom gave him some things for him to take to the table, nothing too heavy. He rolled his eyes at her; everyone still treated him like he'd literally been run over by a truck. No matter how much he insisted that he was feeling okay, they would still pamper him and have him do absolutely nothing. Even Kurt had joined. Blaine loved it secretly, but appeared just as annoyed at his attentions as he was with everyone else.

He set up the table with Rachel and when everything was ready, they called everyone else to take their seats. It was a bit cramped but they managed to fit in. Blaine sat between his mom and dad, Burt and Carole were at the ends of the table and Kurt seated in front of him, doing a marvelous job at separating Finn and Rachel.

"Cockblock," Blaine mouthed and Kurt snorted loudly.

It was a lovely dinner and Blaine was struck once again by the feeling of belonging that had washed over him when he had dinner with this same family back in November. He glanced over at every one of them and smiled fondly. He loved them dearly and no matter what happened with Kurt, he would always consider them as part of his family.

He felt a foot touch his and he glanced up to find Kurt giving him a questioning look. Blaine just shook his head and took a mouthful of his meal. Kurt raised an eyebrow and smiled, returning his attention to Rachel, who was excitedly telling him something.

When dinner was over and they had finished eating, Blaine pulled Finn aside.

"What's up, bro?" the taller man asked as Blaine waited for the women to enter the kitchen and leave them alone.

"Are we still up for that reconnaissance operation?"

"The – "

"Rachel's ring," Blaine whispered in a rush.

Finn's mouth formed a perfect 'o' as he took Blaine's words.

"Yeah! Sorry, you had lost me there with the weird words," Blaine tried to hold his laughter, "Yeah, I totally need your help since I – well I'm planning on doing it on New Year's Eve."

"New Year's Eve?" Blaine nearly yelled, "Finn, that's _days _away! We need to get a move on, then."

Finn scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, I figured if I did it with a long time of anticipation, Rachel might find out. She always finds out," he said that last part more to himself.

"Okay… Anyway, we need to hurry. How about we go on Tuesday? I'd love to have something to distract myself after the hearing on Monday."

"Awesome."

They bumped their fists and made their way to the living room to join Burt and Harold.

* * *

><p>Kurt had seen the little exchange from his spot by the kitchen doorframe. He smiled at the two men and focused his attention to the smaller one of them. He hated to admit it, in fact he barely did, even to himself, but that kid with the gelled curls and hazel eyes had gotten in deep. Deeper than Kurt would have ever wanted. Rachel saw him and the look in his eyes and approached him. She came out just in time to see the two boys bumping fists and entering the living room.<p>

"You really do care for him, don't you?"

Kurt turned to see her briefly before returning his gaze to the place where Finn and Blaine had just been.

"Well," he shrugged, "he's interesting enough to have around."

Rachel smiled and shook her head slowly. She knew that it would be the most she'd be able to get from him but just knowing that she didn't get a straight, flat '_no' _was enough. Wonder Boy had done it, he'd tamed the beast, she thought to herself as she patted Kurt's arm and returned to helping Carole and Kate.

She just prayed Kurt wouldn't do something stupid that would push this wonderful, beautiful boy away.

* * *

><p>"<em>Fucking unbelievable!<em>" Kurt hissed as they got inside Burt's car.

They had just walked out of the building after the hearing. Blaine had been right, the guys that attacked him got only a warning and hours of community service. Three hundred and fifty hours, to be exact. Everyone had walked out of there angry and offended, saying they'd call PFLAG organizations and get these kids to really pay. Blaine didn't really care; he just wanted the thing to be over. But Kurt…

Kurt had been _furious._

"Hey, come on, let it go," Blaine said gently placing his hand above Kurt's.

"Are you kidding me? They beat you up and that's all they get? They could've fucking killed you! Fucking assholes!" He yelled as he rolled down the window.

Blaine pulled him back.

"Kurt, please. Just… just stop."

Burt spoke up.

"Blaine's right. Let's not talk about it anymore, I'm sure he just wants to forget about this whole thing."

Blaine nodded silently and focused his eyes on his lap. Kurt inhaled sharply and didn't say a word for the rest of the trip. Kate was seating on the other side of Blaine and suddenly, she took her son's hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. He felt a pat on his knee and turned to see his father turning over his seat on the passenger's seat giving him a reassuring smile. Blaine smiled.

At least he had gotten his family back.

* * *

><p>New Year's Eve arrived and with it, another reunion at the Hummel's. Another evening filled with love, laughter and silly chatter. Blaine talked to Quinn and Santana and wished them a happy new year. His parents and him called his grandparents and promised to visit them soon. They lived in Washington.<p>

This time, Rachel's dads joined them in the celebration, which provided an even bigger challenge to accommodate everyone at the table. They managed and had a wonderful time but by the end of the meal, Blaine was growing nervous. He really couldn't figure out Finn. The tall man had said he'd pop the question to Rachel that night but so far, he hadn't given any indication of when he'd do it. He seemed far too distracted and Blaine feared that Finn might've forgotten about his ingenious plan. It _was_ Finn, after all, which meant anything could happen.

They all moved to the living room and turned on the TV to watch the celebration happening down in New York. Kurt stood next to Blaine.

"You planning on kissing someone at midnight?"

Blaine smiled, his eyes fixed on the TV.

"Well, Finn _is _looking rather handsome tonight."

Kurt punched him lightly and Blaine laughed.

The countdown began.

Everyone took their glasses and started chanting at the screen.

"10… 9 … 8 … 7 … 6… 5… 4 … 3… 2… 1… HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

Kurt and Blaine turned to look at each other and leaned in slowly. Their lips met in a gentle, sweet kiss. When they broke apart, they turned to see everyone hugging one another. Finn and Rachel had also kissed and when they broke apart, Finn turned to face everyone.

"Hey, everyone! Please shut up for a minute 'kay?"

He turned to see Rachel.

"Rach, I've been wanting to do and say this for so long but I waited. I waited until now because I wanted us to start this new year with a bang. So that's why, now, in the first minutes of this new year, I want to ask you –"

He kneeled. Everyone gasped. Blaine smiled. Rachel's eyes filled with tears.

"Rachel Berry, will you marry me?"


	16. Chapter 16

**I'm so sorry this one took so long! With classes starting, I didn't have much time to write! But I hope you like it!**

**I must warn you, though... Angst is just around the corner...**

**Enjoy! And please review!**

**Disclaimer: As much as I wished it was differently, Glee is not mine.  
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><p>"Yes… Oh god, yes!"<p>

Rachel laughed and put her hands over her mouth as the tears that had been pooling in her eyes began to fall down. Finn smiled broadly and as he was lifting himself up, Rachel wrapped her arms around him. He placed his arms on her waist and pulled her up with him, lifting her from the ground and twirling her around as both laughed and everyone around them cheered and clapped.

Blaine was incredibly happy for their friends; they really were in love with each other and deserved to be happy. He sighed, he'd give anything to someday be in a situation like that – surrounded by the people that matter the most to him, staring into the eyes of the man he was in love with, hearing him say he felt the same and that he wanted to spent the rest of his life with Blaine.

As his mind wondered through those thoughts, he turned to see the one man that he wanted to be with in that scenario. He was standing right next to him, their arms touching each other. They were so close and yet, Blaine felt Kurt was miles away. His eyes were fixed on the couple in front of them. Blaine knew that if Kurt was so against love, marriage was definitely out of the question for him too.

And yet, once again, Blaine couldn't help but hope.

He stopped his thoughts once Finn and Rachel pulled away and everyone made their way to congratulate them. Blaine smiled to Rachel and hugged her, whispering in her ear how happy he was for them. She thanked him and kissed his cheek tenderly. When he came near Finn, the taller man hugged him and lifted him up. Blaine was shocked at first but started laughing almost immediately. When Finn put him back down, Blaine looked at him curiously.

"What was _that_ for?"

"For being the amazing friend you are and for sticking around! I just love you, bro!"

Blaine smiled and patted Finn's arm affectionately.

"I love you too, man."

In that moment, Finn was dragged by his mother, who was already in tears and Rachel was with her dads, showing them her beautiful ring. Blaine turned around, looking for Kurt. He found him in the corner, eyeing the scene with an unreadable expression. Blaine's stomach did a funny turn. He hated seeing that look on Kurt's face. It was the look that told him the older boy was closing himself up, the coldness in his eyes returning. Whenever any grand, romantic gesture happened in front of him, that's what would happen with Kurt.

Blaine approached him cautiously. He tried to grab Kurt's hand but then decided against it. He knew not to push Kurt whenever he had that look on his face. So he just stood next to him, close enough to let him know he was there but still, keeping his distance. Their arms were inches away but Kurt still had that distant look on his face so they never touched.

Blaine's hand had never felt so empty.

* * *

><p>School started soon enough and the first days were horrible for Blaine. Everyone would throw him curious or pitiful looks on the hallways or murmur as he passed by. The guys responsible for his attack were there as well and things got incredibly tense whenever he had to walk by them on his way to class.<p>

Luckily, he had his friends to help him get through it all. Quinn and Santana never left his side and he had even gained some sort-of-friends from the football team, other players who had not liked what their fellow teammates had done to him. He was grateful for their efforts to "protect" him but sometimes he just wished they would all go away. Having six-foot-tall, burly jocks around him from time to time just made it more difficult to forget what had happened.

As days went by, though, things returned to normal. He got less and less looks thrown his way and the jocks that had made their task to look after him started to back off a bit, still watching him from the distance. Once he had space to breath, he realized he quite liked those guys. It had been really nice of them to follow him around and stand by _his _side instead of taking the easy route and giving him a hard time like his bullies. But now, he could actually put the incident behind him and worry about other things.

First, it had been to talk to Santana about Brittany. The girl had been reluctant to talk about it at first, but he had finally managed to make her talk. Apparently, she had liked Brittany for a long time but wasn't comfortable with coming out so she had kept it to herself. After what had happened to Blaine during the Winter Dance, she had been afraid of what would happen if she and Brittany officially started dating. That had caused some friction between the girls until Santana finally mustered the courage to properly ask Brittany out. The blond girl had agreed and they were now officially an item. At school, of course, they just looked like close friends and fellow Cheerios but they hung out after classes were over and soon enough, Brittany was there for every meeting at the dinner, making her the newest member of that weird, large, sort-of-family they had all become.

Things with Kurt had also gotten back to normal. He had been weird and distant since Finn and Rachel's engagement and Blaine didn't push during those days. It killed him and made his insecurities resurface but he was determined to let Kurt deal with whatever he had to deal on his own time and way. In the end, his patience had paid off. Kurt had gone back to being as affectionate as he could be with him and his worries had somewhat lessened out.

The only thing keeping him up at night by the end of January was college and acceptance letters.

He had sent his paperwork and portfolio days before the official date. He had done everything right and now came the worst part: waiting. He knew he had the talent and the brains to get in so he just had to remain calm and positive.

Out of the trio, Quinn was the only one who could breathe regarding that matter. She had already been let known that she had been accepted into Yale. When she had found out, she had called Blaine, babbling incoherencies and screaming in delight. Blaine had needed to spend half an hour asking her to calm down and repeat her words over and over again until she was finally calm enough to let him know the good news.

Blaine had almost cried of happiness.

He had screamed just as loud as Quinn had, scaring the crap out of Kurt. He had been granted the biggest, most terrifying glare he had ever seen Kurt cast on someone. But at that moment, he didn't care. He was so happy for his best friend, he had immediately pulled together a small party at Carole's dinner in her honor. That had been a fun night.

Quinn had come with her parents, making Puck almost choke with his drink and spent the entire night trying to make a good impression. It had been endearing and a little bit creepy, watching the tough guy acting like a gentleman all night long. Quinn had been so touched by his efforts to win over her parents that she had _finally_ given in and kissed him. Puck had been so surprised and dazed Finn had to step in to check if he was still breathing.

Yes, it had been a crazy month so far.

As Blaine reminisced through the things that had happened, his homework momentarily forgotten, he felt a pair of arms slide through his shoulders and down to his chest. He smiled and dropped his pen, turning to look at Kurt.

"What's up?"

Kurt pouted. "You've been here working on your homework and ignoring me for far too long. I demand some Blaine time now."

Blaine laughed loudly and stood up.

"Okay," he turned to close his notebook, "I'm all yours."

Kurt smirked before lunging forward and kissing Blaine. The younger boy moaned and smiled against his mouth as they stumbled into the living room. They broke apart and Kurt began pulling Blaine's blue polo shirt up. Blaine lifted his arms and the piece of clothing was tossed aside into the floor. Their lips connected once again as this time, Blaine fiddled with the buttons on Kurt's shirt. He ran his hands all over Kurt's chest, earning a wonderful moan from him. They finally made it to the couch and laid down. Kurt pulled away from Blaine to unbuckle his belt. Blaine shifted so he was seating and grabbed Kurt's face, crashing their mouths again as Kurt tried to get rid of Blaine's jeans. He had finally gotten rid of the belt and was on his way of unzipping his jeans when Blaine's phone rang on his left pocket.

They both groaned loudly and Kurt sat between Blaine's legs, running a hand through his hair and letting out an exasperated sigh.

"I think someone might actually hate me up there."

Blaine snorted and tried to control his erratic breathing as he took the phone out and glared at the caller ID. It was Finn. Blaine may love the guy and consider him his closest guy friend but right now, he hated the man's guts. He took a deep breath and answered.

"You better have a really good reason to be calling or I swear I'll kill you next time I see you."

"_Whoa, dude! Chill, what did I do?"_ came Finn's confused voice.

"You interrupted – never mind. What's up?"

"_OH MY GOD! Did I just – Shit! I'm sorry, I-I... Oh, god… Now I have really disturbing images in my head…_"

"Finn, just tell me why you called…"

"_Oh! Right… Damn, now this is awkward… Um, well, I was wondering… I already asked Kurt since he's my brother and I love the man but I also wanted to ask you, too_."

Kurt groaned loudly again and Blaine just mouthed 'Sorry' as he waited for Finn to carry on.

"_Will you be my best man?_"

Blaine's mouth almost hit the floor. He let out a laugh.

"_What?_ Are you serious?" he asked excitedly.

"_Yeah! I want you, Kurt and Puck to be right there next to me when I get married. You're pretty awesome, dude and I don't care if I'm older than you by six years, you're one of the best friends I've ever had."_

"Finn, you're such a girl… But, fuck yeah! I'd be _delighted_ to be your best man!"

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kurt huff and roll his eyes but he ignored him.

"_Thanks, man! Well, I guess that's all I wanted to talk about. You can go back to, eh, whatever you were doing…"_

Blaine blushed as he said goodbye and hung up the phone. He turned to see Kurt, who was sitting as far away from Blaine as possible. He still had that annoyed look on his face. Blaine pulled his arm but Kurt didn't move. Blaine sighed and shook his head trying to keep the smile from tugging at his lips. Kurt was such a spoiled brat sometimes. He crawled towards him, sitting on Kurt's lap.

"Sorry?" he offered and Kurt huffed.

Blaine couldn't help it, he laughed. Kurt turned to glare at him but the moment his face was right in front of him, Blaine leaned in and kissed him. He heard Kurt sigh into the kiss and smiled before pulling away.

"You didn't tell me Finn wanted you to be one of his best men."

Kurt shrugged and replied harshly. "It was pretty obvious he'd ask me, I'm his brother."

"Right..."

Blaine sighed inwardly. Kurt was always annoyed or indifferent whenever Finn and Rachel's wedding came up. Ever since they had settled on the date – March, 28th – and had begun the real planning, it had gotten worse. Kurt couldn't understand why they were so eager to "sign their death sentences." Blaine knew it wasn't like that. Rachel had been scared that once Blaine, Santana and Quinn graduated and went to college, it'd be more difficult for them to settle for a date when everyone could be there, so she and Finn had opted for a small, simple wedding that would allow them to have everyone they loved there. Blaine thought it was something really nice and sweet to do, especially considering Rachel's spotlight addiction. The fact that she had turned down the opportunity of a large, magnificent wedding for the three young friends was incredibly touching.

But Kurt just thought it was stupid. He knew Kurt was not happy with it, not because he wasn't happy for them but because it just wasn't something he was into. Not anymore. Blaine wished more than anything that he could have gotten the chance to meet the Kurt that was in love with weddings, instead of having to deal with the cranky Kurt he was now facing.

"Well, the mood has obviously been killed so I guess I'll go finish my homework," he said as he zipped his jeans and picked his shirt from the floor and putting it back on.

When Kurt didn't say anything and instead made his way to the bedroom, slamming the door, Blaine just shook his head and sat down at the table, resuming his work.

He was beginning to believe that, despite his efforts, Kurt just would never change. And even if he didn't want to accept it, he was losing his patience.

And he was terrified by that.

* * *

><p>February settled in and with that, the craziness of Valentine's Day. The halls of McKinley were filled with red hearts and couples walking hand in hand. Even Santana had gotten into the mood and spent her time throwing loving glances at Brittany. Blaine was a hopeless romantic, but even he had to admit so much romance in the air was suffocating.<p>

Still, he couldn't complain. Even if he and Kurt had had some tough times recently, the older boy had been a bit more caring and affectionate towards him. They had even made plans for homemade dinner that night. Blaine was excited. It was always nice to have those lovey-dovey things to do. It gave what they shared a feeling of realness.

It also made him think that Kurt really did love him, in his own way.

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><p>Kurt returned from his lunch break and sat down at his desk. He stretched his arms and moved his head sideways. He was tired. Work was tough these past few weeks and with the February 14th craziness, there was even more to do. And work was not all that invaded Kurt's mind. He and Blaine had been through a rough patch. It wasn't like they fought a lot; he would have been less worried if it was only that. No, they were just… distancing. He knew he was to blame with his sort of childish reactions to his brother's wedding but he had tried. He had tried to get used to the idea of weddings and marriage and <em>love. <em>But he couldn't. Memories of his notebooks full of hearts and doodles of his name after he'd marry Karoksky rushed back, followed by memories of the blows to his face and the taste of blood on his mouth as dark, cold eyes bore into him from the doorframe.

So, even if he tried his best to put on a smiling face and get into the wedding bells spirit, he couldn't. And that pushed Blaine away, even when it wasn't his intention.

But he would do something to change that. He had come up with the idea for dinner tonight to make up for the past weeks. He opened up the bottom drawer of his desk and took out a small package. He smiled. He had gotten Blaine an art book with works from some of his favorite artists. He hoped this would improve things between them. Even if he wouldn't admit it, even to himself, he didn't want to lose Blaine. He placed the gift back in the drawer and returned his attention to work. He needed to hurry.

He had a date tonight.

Around 5 pm, Kurt's phone rang. He checked who the caller was and arched his eyebrows in surprise. He picked up and started talking with his caller. As the conversation progressed, his frowned grew and grew.

"Right now? I-I can't… I have some, uh, things to do tonight."

"_Kurt, this is important. You want the spot or not? It's your chance to bring the clothing line to New York. That's what you wanted, right?"_

"Yeah, but – "

"_Then you have to come right now. I'm sure your other 'things' can wait."_

Kurt sighed. This was going to go terribly wrong but he needed his New York plan to work. He had worked so hard for that and it was almost there. Blaine would understand, right?

Who was he kidding? Blaine would _obviously _understand, even if Kurt didn't give him the details. But he would be hurt. He'd be hurt but wouldn't show it, because he'd feel he has no right to feel that way. And that would make Kurt feel like shit.

But what could he do?

"_Kurt?"_

"Yeah, alright. I'll be there."

He hung up and rubbed his eyes. He hated what he would have to do next. He took a deep breath and grabbed his phone again.

"_Kurt! Are you coming already?" _Blaine's cheerful voice greeted him after the second ring.

"N-no… Blaine, something came up. I-I won't – I can't make it tonight."

"_Oh…"_

"I'm so, so sorry. It was a last minute thing and I couldn't say no and I – "

"_It's okay, I get it."_

Kurt closed his eyes.

"I really am sorry, Blaine."

"_I know, it's okay, though. Really."_

"I _promise _I'll make it up to you."

"_Don't worry about it. I don't know what they're making you do but… Go kill them, tiger!"_

Kurt gave a weak laugh. "Yeah, thanks."

Blaine hung up, leaving Kurt with the sound of the dead line piercing his ear. He sighed and leaned back in his chair. He looked at the drawer that held Blaine's gift. Great, now when he gave it to him it would look like a sorry-I-screwed-up gift.

Slowly, he got out of his chair, grabbed his coat and walked away from his office.

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><p>Blaine left the phone on the table, looking at the candles he had just placed. He knew it was cheesy but he had wanted the classic, lit by the candles, type of dinner. Well, that was <em>not <em>happening now. He sat down in one of the chairs and ran a hand through his gelled-free curls. It really didn't matter if Kurt had something going on at work. But that was the thing, Blaine didn't know for sure that it really was something _work_ related. He hated himself for thinking it but he couldn't help it. What if the real reason was that he just needed a night out like he used to have? What if he was growing tired of Blaine? What if he was with someone else right now while he had been stupidly waiting for him?

No. Kurt had done nothing to make him think he was cheating. He had to trust him. He had promised himself he'd do that. And yet, his mind wandered back to these past weeks. They had been talking less and less. Kurt had been distant and Blaine had gotten exasperated by Kurt's actions more often than not. There were still nights when Kurt would get home pretty late and Blaine would swallow his complaints. What if Kurt had finally had enough of life as a couple? What if Blaine's efforts had been for nothing?

Kurt's words came back to haunt him, like they had done so many nights before.

"_I can't promise anything__, __not even monogamy… I will probably still want to go out and fool_ _around…"_

He inhaled sharply and closed his eyes, willing himself not to cry.

Why did loving someone had to hurt so much?


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Hello! Chapter sooner than I'd planned! Just cause I took way too long for my liking with the previous one. Again, there's a somewhat steamy scene here. I still suck at those so I hope you don't go too hard on me :/  
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**Hope you enjoy!**

**And please review!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Glee, it would be renamed to The Klaine Show. So it's obvious I still don't own it. Darn it.**

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><p>Kurt got home around midnight. He opened the door quietly and left the keys carefully on the nearest table. He sighed. He knew Blaine wouldn't be up but seeing the apartment like that, cold and dark, didn't help at all at how bad he felt already.<p>

He removed his coat and the vest and left them in the couch, making his way to the bedroom. He loosened his tie with one hand as he tightened his grip on Blaine's gift with the other. As he stepped in, he was able to distinguish Blaine's silhouette wrapped in the sheets and sleeping peacefully. Kurt stood there, unsure of what to do as he saw the body in front of him slowly breathe in and out. He knew Blaine needed this so he approached him slowly, making almost no sound and kneeling next to the bed.

"Blaine?" he whispered.

The body moved slowly, turning to face him but without waking up. Kurt smiled as he watched Blaine's face be lit by the dim light of the moon coming through the window. He really did enjoy watching the younger boy sleep.

"Blaine?" he tried again, a little louder.

The boy finally stirred, groaning as he opened his eyes, painfully slowly. He sighed and squinted, trying to figure out what or who had woken him.

"Kurt?" he said groggily while rubbing his eyes.

"Hi," Kurt smiled.

"What's wrong? What– what time is it?"

"Shh… Nothing's wrong and it's about 1 o'clock. Sorry I woke you but I have something for you. Something I wanted to give you tonight at dinner but, well, that was ruined."

Blaine lifted himself up and tried to reach for the lamp. After some struggling, he was able to get it on and he groaned at the sudden intensity of the light. Kurt waited as Blaine's eyes adjusted and turned to look at him. He was frowning now.

"Kurt… I told you, you don't have to – I don't need you t-to, um, make up for tonight. I-I… it's okay."

"Yeah, but the thing is, I had this _before_ I went and fucked up. Although, technically it wasn't something I could control, but anyway. I've had it for weeks now and I really wanted to surprise you with it at dinner tonight."

Blaine stared at him, his eyes unreadable. Kurt had absolutely no idea what the kid was thinking at that moment. It unnerved him because Blaine was always like an open book, his eyes screaming what his mouth couldn't say. After a few minutes of silence, Blaine lowered his gaze, sighed and turned to look at him again. This time, his eyes had softened and Kurt smiled, relieved.

"Okay," Blaine chuckled. "What is it?"

Kurt pursed his lips, trying to hold back the smile that was threatening to appear and pulled the gift from behind him, giving it to Blaine. It was wrapped in blue paper, since it was Blaine's favorite color. He seemed to notice that little fact, because he smiled fondly and took it gently out of Kurt's hand. When he opened it and saw the art book, his eyes widened like plates.

"B-but this is – I told you I wanted this months ago and you – I didn't think you heard me. I-I… _how? _You were on the phone…"

"I did listen," Kurt said simply.

" Y-you… I-I don't know what to say…"

"Say you like it."

"I love it! Kurt, I-I… Thank you. I love it, I really do."

Kurt sat on the bed, reaching out to take the art book out of his hands and leaning in.

"Good," he whispered before locking lips with Blaine, who sighed into the kiss and placed his arms around Kurt, resting them on his shoulders.

Blaine felt happy again. He felt safe. But most of all, he felt _loved_, without the words ever having to leave Kurt's mouth.

Maybe they would be able to make it.

* * *

><p>The halls were crowded as the students stopped by their lockers and got out their books, chattering happily with their friends. Blaine made his way to his own locker and found his blond friend already there, waiting for him with his books on her arm.<p>

"Someone's impatient today," he grinned as he took the books from her.

Ever since they had become friends back when they were freshmen, they knew each other's locker combination and schedule. It had been so easy to trust one another and to fall into a simple, yet beautiful friendship that had only gotten stronger over the years. Some friends are close and share a lot with one another. Blaine and Quinn share _everything. _

"I'm here to warn you. I _may_ have been with Santana last Friday when I got your text that Kurt cancelled on your dinner."

"Shit!"

As if the mere mention of her name would summon her, Santana came almost running around the corner. She did not seem happy.

"You wait until I get my hands on Pretty Boy. No one stands my schoolboy up. I swear, he's gonna wish he wasn't born with a dick – "

"Whoa, Santana! Stop, okay? Yeah, he – he didn't make it to dinner but he sort of made it up for me later."

"Oh..." she smirked, "wanky."

"Wha – n-no! Jeez! No, it wasn't like that either. Well, not _exactly…"_

"Blainey is getting some! Mamma Lopez is proud!" Santana patted Blaine's head, just as if one would a dog.

Blaine rolled his eyes but smiled nonetheless. Quinn suddenly started walking towards the classroom, Blaine and Santana trying to catch up with her.

"I have no idea why I'm friends with you two perverts."

Blaine laughed.

"Oh, please, like Puck is an angel fallen from heaven," Santana replied sarcastically.

"Well, believe it or not, he _is _a perfect gentleman when we're together," Quinn looked proud.

"Whatever," Santana turned to look at Blaine, "are you sure you don't need me to kick Hummel's ass? Because I swear to god, he as much as makes you frown, and I will leave him totally unable to use his little friend."

"I'm sure, but thanks for the, um, offer?"

"Anytime," her tone was playful but he could still sense the seriousness underneath it. She would definitely go after Kurt if things between them ended badly.

He just hoped Santana would never have to fulfill that promise.

* * *

><p>As March began to draw closer, things at the Hummel-Hudson household got pretty wild. Blaine had finally heard from Parsons, and had been accepted. Another big party was held in his honor. Carole, Kate and Quinn had cried and kissed him over and over again, earning a stern look from Kurt.<p>

"Okay, stop trying to make him straight with all the kissing," he had said before leaning in and kissing Blaine, who blushed a deep crimson red.

Blaine couldn't feel happier at the time. He had his parents with him, a wonderful new family that he wouldn't give up for the world, amazing friends and the most incredible boyfriend(?). It all felt too good to be true but he let himself enjoy it, instead of wondering when the charm would end.

And Blaine's acceptance letter wasn't the only thing making everyone flail with excitement. Finn and Rachel's wedding was almost there and there was still much to do. Reluctantly, Kurt had accepted to be the wedding planner, since he had a business mastermind that allowed them to get everything done with the maximum result and the minimum of expenses.

Rachel had been a bit nostalgic all through the planning process, catching little glimpses of what her best friend used to be like. Even Finn had seen it too.

As they were discussing possible decorations, he had been struck with a flashback to when their parents had gotten married. It was hard on him to remember Kurt's eyes back then, gleaming with happiness and love and innocence, and then see those very same blue eyes now, expressionless and _empty._ Now and then, that old spark would cross his eyes and it usually came whenever Blaine stopped by to get a glimpse of whatever they were talking about. But even when Blaine was there, the spark would disappear after a few minutes.

Finn had never said it out loud but he blamed himself every day for what had happened to Kurt. When they had first become a family, he wasn't there for Kurt. Not the way he was supposed to be. But he had promised himself to always be there for his brother after that. But then, _that _had happened.

And Finn had been right there.

He had been there and yet he never noticed when Kurt went upstairs with Karofsky. He never noticed that he was gone longer than necessary. He never noticed _anything. _And in his mind, he knew he should have.

That was why he was willing to go to gay bars and night clubs every night just to keep Kurt from doing something stupid. Or keep someone from doing something to his brother.

That was until Blaine came along.

He didn't need to look after Kurt as much as before, mainly because, as far as he knew, Kurt hadn't been to any bars in a long time. Which was something Finn was incredibly proud of. His brother was improving, becoming a better person, more like the person he used to be and less like the jerk he had become over the years.

Finn was definitely happy to be slowly getting his brother back.

None of them knew that everything would come crashing down weeks later.

* * *

><p>Kurt woke up earlier than Blaine like he usually did. The younger boy was sleeping soundly with his head on Kurt's chest, an arm lazily wrapped around his waist. He smiled and kissed the top of his head before silently trying to untangle himself from him to get out of the bed. He went to the kitchen and started setting up the coffee maker while he turned on the TV on the living room, leaving it at a volume loud enough for him to hear from the kitchen but low enough to keep Blaine sleeping a little while longer.<p>

He opened the fridge to take some things out of the fridge when the reporter started talking about a case happening down in Westerville. He was taking out the cups from the cupboard when he started paying attention to what was being said. As soon as he heard it, he froze on the spot.

"_On other news, we have reports that the small rapist band that had been terrorizing the gay community in Westerville has been caught. Its team leader and primary offender, David Karofsky was arrested yesterday after being spotted on a stolen vehicle a few miles from Toledo. The police reports…"_

The reporter carried on with the news but Kurt stopped listening. He didn't know how long he stayed there, his stare fixed nowhere in particular. At some point, his hands were shaking so violently, he let one of the cups fall. After a few minutes, Blaine got out of the bedroom.

"Kurt? What's going on? I heard something break –"

When Blaine caught sight of Kurt's face, he flew to his side, careful not to step on any broken pieces of the cup.

"Kurt? Kurt, what's wrong?" He cupped his face in his hands and made Kurt look at him.

Kurt's eyes were numb and expressionless like they had been when Blaine had first met him but his hands were still shaking. That look sent a shiver down Blaine's spine. Their eyes were locked and Blaine tried his best not to flinch at the hollowness he found on the eyes in front of him.

"Kurt?" he ventured once more and this time, he got a response.

Kurt lunched forward and kissed him deeply, desperately. Blaine stumbled backwards from the intensity of it and even though he kissed him back, he could feel something was wrong. Terribly wrong. Kurt had always been eager and blunt whenever they were being intimate but never _desperate. _And that was exactly what this kiss felt like. It was like Kurt wanted to feel something, remind himself of something through Blaine and he couldn't figure out what it was or how to help him feel it.

Kurt guided them to the living room but they never reached the sofa. They stumbled backwards and Blaine almost fell down, but Kurt caught him and lowered them down to the floor, his lips never leaving Blaine's. When air became absolutely necessary, they broke apart.

As soon as their lips parted, he attached his to Blaine's neck, leaving a trail of kisses and hitting a sensible spot near the younger boy's ear.

"Kurt, what –"

Kurt wasn't listening. He interrupted him by kissing him fiercely again as his hands went up and down his chest. Blaine had to bite back a moan as Kurt returned his attention to his neck again. His hands wandered through Blaine's body until he reached the elastic of his pajama pants and pulled it down. Blaine helped him kick the piece of clothing off and they returned once again to their passionate make out session.

He didn't notice when it happened but soon, Kurt was naked and Blaine only had his boxers on. It was a rather awkward scene, with both lying on the floor in the middle of the living room, while the newscast continued to sound in the background.

Blaine still didn't know what was going on but then, Kurt's hand was inside his boxers and all coherent thoughts left him. He arched back and groaned loudly. Kurt was above him, supporting his weight on only one arm while the other was still inside Blaine's boxers. Blaine's breathing was erratic and he continued to arch against Kurt's hand, looking like a writhing mess.

Suddenly, Kurt lifted himself and removed his hand, making Blaine groan in frustration. Kurt yanked Blaine's boxers down so that they were now completely naked. He lowered his body over Blaine's again and the friction between them made them moan at the same time.

"Kurt… please…"

Usually, Kurt would tease him mercilessly, making him beg, but this time it was different. Because even if Blaine was the one uttering the words, it seemed Kurt was the one doing the begging. He lowered his head to catch Blaine's lips in his once more before setting himself up and grabbing Blaine's legs, lifting them up.

Kurt shot him one look as he let Blaine's legs rest on his shoulder. It was a questioning look. He was asking if this was okay, if Blaine wanted this. Blaine was still unnerved by the small hint of panic he could see on Kurt's eyes but still nodded, letting Kurt know he wanted this.

Without any further notice, Kurt sank inside him. Blaine gasped but Kurt started thrusting and soon Blaine was moaning and groaning, chanting Kurt's name as they picked up a rhythm.

Kurt's forehead was sweaty and he kept whispering things. Things that sounded oddly familiar to Blaine's name. He leaned forward, making Blaine's legs bent and thrusting even deeper, making Blaine want to scream but he was soon silenced by Kurt's lips that kissed him roughly, the desperate edge still present.

They wrapped their arms around each other, groaning and moaning each other's name. As their pace quickened, they felt the familiar twist in their stomachs and finally, both reached their release.

Kurt felt himself go weak and wanted to fall over Blaine but the boy's legs between them made it impossible so he lowered Blaine's legs and pulled apart, letting himself fall over the floor next to Blaine. Both were panting heavily. Blaine turned to look at Kurt, who had his eyes closed and an arm on his face, covering it.

Blaine propped his elbows up and turned to take Kurt's arm away from his face. His forehead was covered in sweat and his eyes were tightly shut, like he didn't want to look at Blaine. But he made him. When their eyes locked, Kurt had almost a guilty expression on his face. Blaine frowned and cupped his face.

"What's wrong? I mean, don't get me wrong, that was pretty incredible but you just seemed… um…"

"It's nothing," Kurt cut him off. "I just really wanted you right now. I-I… I _needed _you."

As soon as the words left his mouth, his eyes widened, like it had not been his intention to say that. A painful realization hit him like a ton of bricks and he felt something twitch inside him, a horrible feeling taking over him. Blaine didn't get to see that reaction, since he had lowered his gaze, trying to understand what Kurt had just said.

"Well, if you're sure that's it…"

Kurt tried to regain his composure and smiled at the boy. But the nagging feeling was still there.

He had said he _needed _Blaine. He had admitted something he swore he would never admit to anyone ever again. He had let his guard down. It didn't matter if it was with Blaine. He didn't do that.

Because Kurt Hummel didn't _need _anyone.

* * *

><p>After their little tryst in the living room floor, Kurt had still been a little bit on edge but nothing too worrying. Blaine still wondered if there was more to it than Kurt let him know but he didn't push. That day, they had gotten up, taken a shower together and had breakfast. Since it was a Saturday, they stayed in, watching movies and working on their work or homework. Kurt seemed to return to his usual self after a few hours but Blaine's concern didn't fade away.<p>

And it only got worse.

As days went by, Kurt began distancing himself again but this time Blaine could tell something was really wrong. It wasn't like other times when the only thing Kurt did was come home late. This time he was pulling away from Blaine in all the sense of the matter. He was bitchy some days, snapping at Blaine over simple things, while others he was regretful, treating him nicely and apologizing over and over again.

Blaine didn't know what to think of it.

They had even started _fighting_. They never fought, not really. But this time, they did. Kurt would get mad at Blaine for something and just explode. And Blaine, even if he was always nice and caring, did have quite a temper as well. They would yell at each other and stay mad for hours before one came looking for the other, making up. Sometimes, their anger could last days. It was exhausting and Blaine didn't understand it at all.

He had tried to talk to Kurt about it but he brushed him off or told him he was tired or stressed because of his work but Blaine could feel there was more to it and Kurt was shutting him out.

He had his suspicions and fears but didn't have them confirmed until the day before Finn and Rachel's wedding.

Blaine had been the entire day with Quinn and Santana, since they hadn't been able to hang out like they used to when they were all still single. Tomorrow was the wedding so they really couldn't stay up too late. Rachel had asked her high school friend Tina, to be her maid of honor and Quinn and Santana to be her bridesmaids. So the three of them had bit roles to play.

So, their plans had been pretty simple. They had organized a movie marathon at Quinn's and were currently watching The Beauty and The Beast when Blaine's phone started ringing. It was his mom.

"Mom!" he greeted happily.

"Hi, sweetie! How are you? Are you still at Quinn's?"

"Yeah, but this is the last movie so I'll be going to Kurt's soon."

"Okay and about that…" she paused. "I've found a place."

"Really?"

Even when Blaine's dad had come around and they were able to salvage their relationship, he couldn't do the same with his mother. They had been having problems long before they knew Blaine was gay and even if they still got along, they decided the best for them was to continue with the divorce process. Blaine had been saddened by that but he understood there was nothing to be done about it. So, his mom's plans to get a place for them were still on, even if Blaine would only be there with her for a short time before moving to New York. He had been hoping he would get out of it somehow so he could stay those last few months with Kurt, since he didn't know where they stood with him going to college and distance taking its toll on their relationship. Especially now with the way things were.

He heard his mom go on about the small apartment she had rented, which was actually pretty close to Burt and Carole's home. He promised he'd go see it after the wedding and talk about moving there with her. After he hung up the phone, he finished watching the movie with his friends and around 8, he decided to go back home.

He had told Kurt he'd be home around 10 but he wanted to talk to him about his mom's new apartment and find out what Kurt thought about him moving out and eventually, leaving for New York.

He hummed to himself as he waited for the elevator to show and take him to the penthouse. He was still amazed that Kurt had managed to make such a fortune for himself at such a young age. It made him proud.

The small tinkling sound informed him that the elevator had arrived and as he hopped and pressed the last button, he continued his humming. He shoved his hands in his pocket and looked down at his clothes as the doors opened, checking for any stains from the junk food he'd been eating with the girls. He knew Kurt would kill him if he ruined the outfit he'd selected for him.

As he stepped inside the apartment and looked up, he stopped. He could've sworn he could hear something crack inside him as he took the scene in front of him.

Kurt was lying with a man on the couch and they were practically _eating _each other's faces. When the elevator's doors closed, making the tinkling sound again, Kurt shot up and saw Blaine standing there, speechless.

His eyes widened for a second as he stood up clumsily, the man that had been under him peeking to see who had interrupted them.

"Blaine…"

Blaine closed his eyes at the mention of his name. He clutched his hands to his sides, trying to compose himself. He knew this would happen someday.

Kurt took a step forward and Blaine flinched, backing away from him. Kurt stopped dead in his tracks and lowered the hand he had extended.

"Blaine…" he repeated and Blaine lifted a hand to make him shut up, which he did.

"Don't. Justo _don't. _You warned me about this didn't you? From the very beginning you warned me and I took it," he laughed bitterly. "So, I should have seen this coming, right?"

"Blaine, I…"

"Just… _don't talk. _I-I…" he ran a hand through his hair. "I need to get out of here. I-I can't be here."

He walked quickly towards the bedroom, took the hanger with his suit for the wedding and stepped out. Somewhere in between that, the unknown man had gone. Kurt was standing alone in the living room, completely silent.

As Blaine passed right next to him, Kurt grabbed his wrist. Blaine yanked it away immediately.

"I'll see you tomorrow at the wedding."

And with that, he left the apartment.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: This is the longest chapter I've written! Woohoo! First of all, let me just take a moment to thank everyone for your kind, wonderful reviews. To be hionest, I didn't think I'd even manage to get 10 reviews for the whole story but you guys review and say you like it and you make me want to cry with happiness. So thank you so much!**

**Now, the song Blaine listens to is 'I can't make you love me' covered by Adele. It's from her Live at the Royal Albert Hall CD+DVD. Here's a link in case you want to see or hear it: youtube(.)com / watch?v=vQdKYxh37AQ**

**Also, I made a post on tumblr for the images of some of the things I described about the Finchel wedding. Here it is! http(:)/klainesidestory(.)tumblr(.)com/ post / 16245601965  
><strong>

**Thank you so much to everyone who has read it and reviewed it, it means the world to me and I'm so grateful!**

**Disclaimer: Bla bla bla bla bla bla don't own, don't sue.**

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><p>Blaine walked through the dark streets alone, the hanger with his suit resting on his shoulder. He didn't know where to go. His mom was still at Burt and Carole's and he really didn't want to be around that many people who would just question him. He was certain Burt would know what had happened if he appeared in his doorstep that late. Going with his father was out of the question too. There was still some awkwardness in the air, especially when Kurt was around or there was an issue involving him. He knew his dad was trying and he really appreciated it but still…<p>

There was only one option left. The one person he could go to when he had nowhere else to go.

When he arrived, he knocked gently, but firmly and took a few steps back while he waited for the door to open. Finally, it did and Quinn's mom stepped outside.

"Blaine? What's going on, sweetie? Did you forget something?"

As she was talking, she noticed the hanger folded neatly in Blaine's arms and understood.

"Oh, you're staying over! Come on in, then. Quinn is in her room, she's still awake." She said smiling at him.

She had never stopped him from staying over, even before he came out to her daughter. Blaine had the small suspicion that she knew, even before he did, that he was gay and therefore was not a threat to her daughter's innocence. That was something he really liked about her. This, and the fact that she didn't ask questions whenever he was in situations like this. It was as if she could sense his distress every time and just let him in without forcing an explanation out of him.

That was exactly what he needed right now.

"Thank you, Mrs. Fabray." He mumbled and gave her a small smile as he entered the house and went straight upstairs, reaching the door he'd been so familiar with for the past four years. He knocked softly before opening and peeking in. Quinn was lying down in her bed, staring at the ceiling with her iPod playing softly on the speakers in the night-stand. Her eyes were closed as she spoke.

"Mom, I told you already, I'm not hungry. I ate _way too much_ junk food today."

"Aww, and I was just thinking about ordering some pizza," he said casually, making her bolt from her lying position and fall to the floor.

"Ow!"

Blaine threw his suit to the bed and rushed to her side, trying to hold back his laughter as he extended a helping hand to her.

"You asshole! You scared me to death! What the hell are you doing here?" she said taking his hand and rubbing her butt, wincing and glaring at him.

"You know, I think Puck's exquisite selection of words is rubbing on you." he retorted with a small smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"Oh, drop it. Now, wanna tell me what's going on and why you're here?"

"Not really but I guess I need to."

Quinn frowned and as she was about to sit down on the bed, she noticed Blaine's wedding outfit and quickly turned to face her friend.

"What did he do?"

Blaine sighed. He hated that so much, people immediately assuming Kurt would do something to fuck everything up. He hated even more that he actually did. Or not. He wasn't sure. He hadn't even had time to process what had happened. He just needed to get out of there.

"I-I… He – _fuck_! I don't know… Maybe I overreacted," he stuttered as he took his clothes and placed them on Quinn's chair, letting them finally sit down on the bed.

Blaine knew for a fact that he had come home to find Kurt and some random guy making out in the couch, their chests bare and the pieces of clothing in the floor. He was certain, though that the pants were still on. He told Quinn what he remembered seeing.

"I'm going to kill him," she said matter-of-factly. "Yeah, that's what I'll do; I'm going to kill him. Don't worry, I'll be less malicious than Santana but I will make him suffer just a bit."

"No, you're not."

She gaped at him.

"But aren't – aren't you angry? Aren't you hurt?"

"I'm both, I think. I still haven't processed it yet. I do know that I'm happy I didn't find them fucking."

"Blaine, are you even listening to yourself right now? You find your boyfriend making out with some guy and you're worried _you overreacted_?And you're supposed to feel _lucky_ he wasn't already fuck – um – f-fucking him when you got home?"

"He's not my boyfriend," he mumbled pathetically. "I don't even know if he's anything I can call _mine._"

Quinn's eyes softened as she took in the devastated expression on Blaine's face. She grabbed his hand and interlaced their fingers, rubbing her thumb against his hand in a sign of comfort.

"Blaine, you are really – you are _so_ amazing. You are so, so caring and sweet. You love everyone around you and you never let them down. You always try to help people and you're there for them. You're the most incredible person I've ever met. And – look at me," she grabbed his chin with her free hand, making him look straight into her eyes. "_You deserve better than this._"

Blaine could feel the pressure behind his eyes building as he stared into his best friend's eyes. He closed his own and sighed shakily. He really didn't want to do this. He knew that immersing in those thoughts would leave him even more heartbroken than he already was.

"But I love him," he complained, feeling like a small child who's just been told he can't keep his favorite thing.

"Sometimes we love things that aren't good for us," Quinn replied gently.

Blaine sighed and this time, he let the tears stream down his face. Quinn wiped them away delicately with her hand and placed it on his cheek. She tried to smile at him but he could tell she was also sad.

"Look, I'm just saying what I think. I love you _so much_, Blainey. You're more than my best friend, you're like a brother to me and all I want is to see you happy. But whatever you decide, if it's what you truly want, then I'm going to stand there with you and support you all the way."

He gave her a watery smile and pulled her into a hug. Yes, this was always the place to come whenever he felt lost. He still didn't know what he would do, but the weight on his heart lightened, ever so slightly.

They stayed like that for a while and when they pulled apart, Blaine asked her not to mention anything about what had happened between him and Kurt. He didn't want anyone to interfere or shove their opinions in his head while he figured out what he wanted to do, so they quickly thought of an excuse for his crashing at Quinn's and then went to sleep.

They had a wedding to go to.

* * *

><p>Kurt couldn't sleep that night. He hated to admit it but sleeping on an empty bed after months of having the same warm body lying next to him was horrible. He had been shifting and rolling around for a couple of hours now, trying to find a position he was comfortable enough to sleep but he couldn't. He needed the soft set of curls lying on his chest, the smaller body pressed against his, the smell of his hair.<p>

"Fuck this!" He groaned, lifting himself up and throwing the pillow to the wall nearest to him.

He ran a hand through his face and sighed. This was stupid, he needed to rest. Even if he wasn't really into going to a wedding, it was his brother getting married and he would not allow himself to show up with bags under his eyes from staying up regretting his actions and worry inked in his features because he didn't feel any of those things.

Or so he liked to believe.

* * *

><p>Next morning, Kurt woke up, took a shower, picked up his things and drove to the small chapel where the wedding would take place. He was dreading it already. He knew that by the time he got there, everyone would know what he'd done and would scowl at him and annoy him endlessly with scolding for hurting Blaine and being the jerk he was.<p>

He sighed and got out of the car, walking painfully slowly to the small door that led to the groom room, where he was certain Finn and Puck already were. Maybe even Blaine was there. Kurt was at a loss of what to do when he saw the younger boy. He really hated that feeling he had of coming clean and explaining what he'd done to Blaine but he hated even more the nagging feeling in his chest and the memory of Blaine backing away from him when he had tried to reach out to him.

He stood still for a few seconds with his hand on the knob, preparing himself for the predictable scenario he was about to face. He turned it and pushed the door open, taking a few hesitant steps inside. Puck was sitting on a chair with the first buttons of his shirt opened and the bowtie undone and lying around his neck. Blaine was standing in between Finn and the body-sized mirror, adjusting the groom's golden tie. Kurt's eyes immediately settled on Blaine, admiring how incredibly handsome he looked. His hair was slicked back like it usually was but the amount of hair used seemed to be less than on other occasions, making his hair seemed fluffier… in a way. His suit fitted him perfectly, making him look like a model and the black bowtie gave him the perfect dapper touch.

"Kurt! Fashionably late, as always," Puck said as he stood up and went to greet him.

'_Okay, so Puck doesn't know what happened yet_' He thought as he hugged his friend.

Finn and Blaine turned to see him and he suddenly felt nervous. He hated all of this, having this rollercoaster of emotions going through him all because of the one boy standing behind his brother. It was exhausting. He took a deep breath, bracing himself for the scene he was sure Finn would cause because he was also sure his brother was already aware of what went on the night before.

"Kurt! I was starting to freak out! It sucks you had to work late yesterday, dude, that's not fair. Blaine told me, that sucks! Poor guy, he had to stay at Quinn's."

Oh.

Okay.

So he didn't know.

Kurt's eyes darted quickly to Blaine who wasn't looking at him. He was certain Blaine would tell them what happened. People love to be the center of attention whenever something bad happened to them and they loved it even more when they had someone to blame for it. Kurt had grown used to ignoring the disapproving looks his father would throw at him. He was used to Finn's exasperated sighs when he went with him to the gay bars. He was used to it all, to everyone thinking of him as an asshole. He thought Blaine would probably do the same and have them all attack him when he arrived. He was angry after all and people could get vicious when they were hurt. Instead, he had gone and covered for him.

Blaine Anderson never ceased to amaze him.

Finn was still looking at him and he knew he had to say something so he faked a smile.

"Yeah, it sucks."

Finn patted him on the shoulder and turned to find the sheet where he had written his vows. Kurt stood there, unsure of what to do, before walking towards Blaine who had turned his back on him and was fixing his own bowtie on the mirror.

"Hey," Kurt said quietly.

"Hey," Blaine responded without looking at him.

"Can we talk?"

"Not right now," Blaine whispered. "Today is Finn's day and I'm not ruining it with – Just… not now, okay?"

"Okay."

Blaine turned to see him for the first time since he had walked in and gave him a small, forced smile before going where Finn was mumbling to himself.

"Ready, big guy?"

Puck walked towards them with his hands on his pockets and smiling at the groom. Kurt stood a couple of steps away. Finn took a deep breath and nodded. Blaine smiled.

"Then let's get you married."

* * *

><p>The ceremony was beautiful. Everything was beautiful, actually. Blaine was truly impressed at Kurt's wedding planner skills. The church was filled with gold and white garments, in honor of Rachel's metaphor of being a star. The aisle was filled with small arrangements of peonies and viburnum with two large stone urns with similar flower arrangements flanking the beginning of the aisle.<p>

The music began playing softly and the congregation turned around to see Finn walk to the altar, his head raised and his eyes gleaming with joy. Then, Tina and Kurt walked down as the maid of honor and the best man. Following them were Blaine and Santana and lastly, Puck and Quinn.

Blaine was surprised to find he even liked the bridesmaids' dresses, since it was usually what he hated out of the weddings. Some brides were really into being the star and Blaine was certain Rachel would be one of those and would choose horrible dresses for them. But they weren't that bad at all.

But then he saw Rachel. And well, no dress or bridesmaid in the world could have outshone her right then. She looked beautiful, her hair pulled into a bun that had some gentle curls and her bangs framing her glowing face. Her white dress fitted her perfectly, accentuating her curves and flowing beautifully. There was a gold sash at her waist, matching Finn's tie and her bouquet. Her eyes were glued to Finn as she and both of her dads walked slowly down the aisle. Since both wanted to be the one that walked her down the aisle, she had decided both should do it.

Blaine turned to see Finn who had such an awed expression and his eyes were so full of love and happiness that he had to look away. They had never looked more in love than they did then. When she reached Finn, he took her hand and nodded at her dads, who had teary eyes.

The congregation sat and the ceremony officially began. Nothing went wrong, of course. It was perfect. Blaine smiled through the entire thing, his eyes never leaving the couple in front of him. Then it was time for the vows and Finn started talking.

"Rachel, you blinded me with your light from the very first day. You are so incredible and beautiful and I wonder every day how it is that I got so lucky to have you love me. You're my rock, my lighthouse, the most special thing in my life. I can't picture my life without you in it and I will make it my mission to prove that to you every single day of my life. You really are my star, the light that guides me through the darkness and I will always, _always _love you."

He reached up and wiped a single tear that had fallen from her eyes, smiling at her while his own eyes filled with tears.

She gave him a watery smile and took a breath before saying her own vows.

"Finn Hudson, I never thought I'd find someone that could be as wonderful as me," she started playfully and everyone laughed. "I never thought I'd find someone who understood me entirely and would not only put up with my stubbornness and ambition, but also admire it, like it… _love _it. But I did. I found _you_ and I'm so happy I did. You let me go and chase my dreams, you don't stop me, and you _encourage _me. You love me even when I don't really like myself very much. You are the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me and I'm so proud of you. I'm so glad I get to call you mine and that I'll be able to do that for the rest of my life. I love you so much and I know I'll never, ever stop. Nothing will ever have the same effect on me than being able to call you _my husband. _Not even a Tony."

They all laughed again and Blaine felt a lump on his throat. For the first time since the ceremony had started, he turned to look at Kurt. His eyes were also fixed on the marrying couple. His eyes weren't so distant or cold as they had been whenever they discussed this day. There was something different but Blaine couldn't name it. But Blaine's heart still ached because, even if he was young and there was still so much left for him to live and experience, he wanted _that_. That scene unfolding in front of him, that's what he wanted to have one day and the person he wanted to be standing in front of in a room full of people he loved, was Kurt, looking at him with the same intense, loving look Finn was giving Rachel.

But he knew he'd never have that. Not with Kurt, at least.

And yet, he didn't want to leave Kurt. He had made up his mind shortly before Kurt had gotten to the church. He knew it wasn't the best choice, but he wanted to be with him just a little bit longer. If this was the way, if he had to put up with some things he didn't like just to be with him, he would. Just a little bit longer, just until he was forced to move on and let Kurt go. Just until it was time to leave for New York.

He was so enwrapped in his thoughts, he didn't hear the rest of the speech but when he snapped out of it, Finn and Rachel were kissing and everyone else was clapping and cheering. He joined in and watched them walk to the exit and soon followed them with Santana on his arm.

* * *

><p>At the reception, the newlyweds sat on a large table with their groomsmen and bridesmaids by their side. The sound of laughter and chattering filled the room until the classic sound of cutlery against a glass of wine made everyone quiet down.<p>

"It's time I get this over and done with," said Kurt standing up, smiling. "Hello, I'm Kurt Hummel and I am the best man. This giant over here who just got married is my brother."

Finn laughed as he placed his arm around Rachel and shifted a little in his seat to face Kurt.

"I'm not as good with these things as I used to be but I just want to say that I'm happy for you. I'm glad you found each other and I hope neither screws up because a wedding I planned ending in divorce doesn't look good on my résumé. So here's to my brother and my best friend. May your life be filled with happiness, um, love, and lots and lots of sex."

Everyone laughed and raised their glass as Finn shook his head smiling and Rachel reached to give Kurt a light punch. He sat down and Blaine looked at him, smiling.

"Interesting speech," he commented lightly, but the tension was still there.

Kurt grabbed his hand.

"Blaine, about last night, I –"

Blaine stiffened.

"I know," he whispered.

"No, you don't. I was just – "

"You were just being you."

"Well yes, but – "

"It's okay," Blaine interrupted him. "You warned me, you never promised anything. I knew what I was getting myself into from the very beginning. So, it's okay," he said shrugging.

Kurt still felt like he had to explain Blaine why he cheated. Well, almost cheated. Blaine got there before he had a chance to truly go all the way with the guy. Fuck, he didn't even remember his name.

Blaine wasn't looking at him and Kurt couldn't find the courage to let Blaine know. He didn't want to remember the rush of cold that went through his body when he heard Karofsky's name on the news. The fear that set in and the way he had felt so tiny, so… hopeless. So he didn't tell him. Instead, he went back to the façade of the asshole he knew he wasn't anymore.

"So we're cool?" Kurt said, not even trying to apologize anymore. He was trying to get Blaine to look at him but the boy wouldn't bulge.

Blaine was quiet for a few minutes, his face resting on his hand and his stare fixed on the decorations on the table. Kurt had almost sounded sorry for a second but he knew he wasn't, not really. He really hadn't expected Kurt to come crawling back, begin for forgiveness but a little regret wasn't a lot to ask, was it? He sighed. That was the price for holding on to Kurt a little bit longer. He stretched his other hand and grabbed his glass.

"We're cool," he agreed, not looking at Kurt.

The band had finished setting everything up and one of the members took the mic to let everyone know that the newlyweds were going to dance their first dance as a married couple.

A small, blond woman stepped into the stage and took the microphone as Finn and Rachel made their way to the dance floor. She began singing. The song was "Have you ever been in love" by Celine Dion.

They began swaying slowly. They both had smiles on their faces as their eyes were glued to each other. At that dancing pace, Finn didn't look like the awkward dancer he was. He spun her around one or two times, making her laugh before pulling her back. Slowly, other couples made their way to the dance floor. Carole and Burt, Quinn's parents, even Blaine's parents stood up to dance. Puck whispered in Quinn's ear and they stood up too. Blaine watched the couples dance and smiled. Everyone looked so happy. Kurt got up and he turned to see one of his hands extended to him.

"Wanna dance?"

Blaine smiled. He knew Kurt was trying, in a way, but he really wasn't in the mood for dancing.

"Why don't you invite Tina? You said her boyfriend had to work and couldn't make it, right?"

Kurt was a bit hurt by the rejection, but didn't let it show. He nodded, without saying a word and went over to ask Tina to dance.

The rest of the evening went by smoothly. At some point, Blaine did stand up and danced but never when the music was for the couples. He had talked to his mom about her new apartment and with his dad about New York. He danced and goofed around with Quinn and Santana and had 'boy talk' with Finn and Puck. He was with Kurt for a while at the table talking or dancing in large, group numbers.

Finn and Rachel didn't leave for their honeymoon in the middle of the celebration, like everyone had expected. Rachel still loved the spotlight, after all and had decided they would stay until everyone left, because she didn't want to miss anything about her big night. The moment the party was over they would go home, grab their suitcases and hop on their plane to Hawaii.

Everyone started to leave. His mother went with Carole and Burt who would drop her at her new place. His father had been one of the first to leave, since he had some things he needed to get done from work. Quinn's parents had also left after Puck had promised to take her home himself. The only ones that remained were Kurt and Blaine, Puck and Quinn, some of Finn and Rachel's high school friends and of course, the newlyweds.

Blaine was sitting alone at one of the tables. Kurt had been talking to some guys he didn't know, probably friends from high school, and Quinn was slow dancing with Puck right next to Finn and Rachel. The band had already gone too and someone had put on an iPod that was currently playing a really corny song Blaine didn't recognize.

Suddenly, cheering came from the speakers and a soft piano tune began. He frowned trying to figure out what song it was and then Adele's voice filled the room.

_Turn down the lights; turn down the bed.  
>Turn down these voices inside my head.<em>

_Lay down with me; tell me no lies.  
>Just hold me closely,<br>Don't patronize…_

_Don't patronize me._

'_Oh, it's Quinn's iPod, then,'_ he thought, looking over at his friend. She was quite the fan of the English singer. He didn't remember hearing this song before but he was sure it was from a Live CD because of the cheering at the beginning. He smiled as the beautiful voice sang but as he made out the words of the chorus, his smile faded and turned into a frown.

_Cause I can't make you love me  
>If you don't.<br>You can't make your heart feel  
>Something that it won't.<em>

_Here in the dark  
>In these final hours,<br>I will lay down my heart  
>And I'll feel the power;<br>But you won't.  
>No, you won't.<em>

_Cause I can't make you love me  
>If you don't.<em>

Blaine swallowed hard. He turned to look at Kurt who was still talking to his friends. He saw the way his eyelashes fluttered, how he threw his head backwards laughing, the way he talked with his hands. Blaine loved him, there was no denying that. He was completely in love with that man standing so far away, both literally and figuratively. He felt so much love for him that it made his heart ache.

And it ached because now he knew Kurt could never truly love him back.

_I'll close my eyes cause then I won't see  
>The love you don't feel when you're holding me.<em>

_Morning will come,  
>And I'll do what's right;<br>Just give me till then  
>To give up this fight.<em>

_And I will give up this fight._

That song was telling him what his mind had wanted to say for such a long time. He had silenced it because it hurt too much to think about it but now he couldn't escape. He sat there as the voice and the words stabbed him over and over again.

_Give up this fight… _He needed to do that, didn't he? It was a lost battle. He couldn't make Kurt feel what he felt for him. No one could make him. He had to feel that on his own and Blaine knew he didn't. He wasn't in love with him. He liked him of course, but that was it.

_I can't make you love me when you don't. _

_When you don't._

Blaine turned to look at Kurt one more time. He was laughing again. Blaine closed his eyes as the painful realization hit him. He had decided to hold on to Kurt just until he had to leave but now he knew he couldn't.

He couldn't do this anymore.

* * *

><p>They left a few minutes after that damned song had ended. They said goodbye to Finn and Rachel, who stayed a bit longer since they still had time before going home to get ready for their honeymoon. Both knew they weren't getting any sleep that night but they had promised to stay there until the last second and if that meant not sleeping at all before leaving for Hawaii, then they wouldn't. They wanted to take it all in, until the cleaning team ushered them out.<p>

The ride home was silent. Blaine didn't know how to do this. He knew he should have told Kurt everything back at the party but he couldn't do it. They got to the apartment and it suddenly didn't feel like home. Not anymore.

Kurt loosened his tie and went to get a bottle of water out of the fridge. He turned around to see Blaine still standing by the door.

"Aren't you coming in?" Kurt smiled and Blaine turned to look at him.

"I can't do this," he blurted out.

"Sure you can, you just put one foot in front of the other and – "

"No, Kurt. _I can't do this_."

Kurt's eyebrows shot upward. He didn't know what to say. Blaine had caught him completely off guard.

"But you said we were cool –"

"I-I know… But I-I c-can't I – I _love _you too much and I – "

Tears started streaming down his face and Kurt wanted nothing more than wiped them away but he didn't. He pretended he wasn't affected by them.

"And you what?"

Blaine's teary eyes found his and he struggled to stop his body from shivering.

"And I know you don't."

Kurt froze.

"I know you _can't _a-and I was w-willing t-to, um, be with you anyway because I figured if this – this was the only way I c-could have y-you then I-I'd take it. But I can't. I c-can't… I-It hurts too much to be the only one doing the loving here. I want it all. I want t-the wedding and the h-house a-and the kids. I want it all and I know you c-can't g-give me that and I just – I can't…" his voice broke and he sobbed, covering his face with his hands.

"And you just realized that today?"

Blaine sniffed and tried to calm himself before looking up.

"Seeing Finn and Rachel there, the love they felt, made me remember that I've always wanted that," he said, his voice was calmer now but it still cracked at some words. "And y-you don't. We want different things, Kurt. I-I want you and you want freedom. So here I am, giving it back to you."

Kurt just stood there, speechless.

"To be a couple, we both should want the same things. But we don't so there's really nowhere else we can go."

"Probably not," Kurt said emotionlessly.

A pang went through Blaine's chest at Kurt's response. He didn't do anything or said anything to contradict him.

"Then, what are we doing here?" he whispered, losing what little hope he had left.

"Damned if I know."

Both stood there, looking at each other for who knows how long. Blaine couldn't take the intense look on Kurt's eyes and the silence that filled the room so he lowered his head and turned to the door.

"Goodbye, Kurt."

* * *

><p>Finn and Rachel were getting their things ready. They had to leave for the airport in about twenty minutes so they could get there with enough time to do the checking in. Rachel was still in their bedroom and Finn was coming down the stairs, carrying their suitcases when there was a loud knock on the door. He frowned, wondering who it could be knocking on his door in the middle of the night.<p>

He set the bags down and looked through the peephole. He opened the door and stared at his brother in confusion.

"Kurt, what –"

"This is all your fault."

"What? What is?"

"You infected him."

Oh. He was talking about Blaine. He still didn't get it, though, but Kurt was furious.

"What did you do?"

Kurt scoffed. "Right, it's obvious whatever happened between us is _my _fault, right?"

"Well, I can't see Blaine being the one that fucks up."

"Oh, no, this is all because of you and Rachel and your little American dream. You've infected him and now he's gone."

Finn gaped at him. Blaine had left Kurt. He had finally had enough. Finn had always been scared Blaine would reach his limit but seeing Kurt these last few weeks he really hoped it would all turn out okay. He has truly believed Kurt wouldn't screw up but Blaine wouldn't leave his brother unless he had truly done something to hurt him.

Or Kurt had given him reasons to believe that staying with him and expecting him to change was hopeless. Yes, as painful as it was, Finn knew that was probably it.

"Thanks to you, he wants weddings and houses and a perfect little family. This is all your fault!" Kurt continued to yell at him.

Now Finn was getting angry.

"What the hell is your problem? You think he started wanting this things because of me, because of us? He's _always _wanted those things, Kurt and you damn well know it!"

"Before you went and asked him for help with your stupid little ring quest, he was perfectly happy!"

"Maybe he was okay with it but he wasn't _perfectly happy_. All he wanted was for you to say you love him, that's all and he was willing to put up with you just to be able to hear you say that someday!"

"That's not who I am, not anymore!"

"Don't we all know!"

Rachel had gone down the stairs when the yelling had started and watched the brothers argue before stepping in.

"What's going on here?"

"Stay the fuck out of this, Rachel," Kurt spat.

"Okay, this is it. Get the hell out of my house, Kurt." Finn demanded. "How dare you come into my house and insult me, insult my wife, insult _my marriage_? How dare you ruin this night for us? I may love you, you may be my brother but you are an asshole. You lost the one good thing in your life and it was all your doing. So don't come blaming it all on me, man up and see that you brought this on yourself! Accept that _you. fucked. up._"

He walked to the door and yanked it open.

"Now get the hell out."

Kurt stood there fuming but Finn didn't even flinch. Rachel had tears in her eyes and didn't know what to do.

Kurt stomped out of the house and Finn slammed the door shut.


	19. Chapter 19

**Hi guys! Sorry to keep you waiting! Things are so crazy right now! **

**Anyway, here's the new chapter! We are nearing the end... I'm feeling one, _maybe_ two more chapters and we're done. I can't believe it! My first long story is almost finished!**

**I can't thank you enough for every single review I've gotten. You are all so nice and wonderful and you make my day every time you tell me what you thought. Thank you so much, I love you all with every bit of my heart.**

**But now, let us enjoy this new chapter!**

* * *

><p>Kate Anderson was about to go to bed when a loud knock stopped her. She frowned confused and went to the door, looking through the peephole. She yanked the door open to find her son standing in front of her. His tie was undone and hanging around his neck. He had his hands on his pockets and his gaze fixed on the floor.<p>

"Blaine! Honey, what's wrong? What happened? Did you –"

Blaine lifted his face and met his mother's eyes. She gasped at the tear-filled honey eyes she loved so much and the way his face was distorting as he let those tears fall down his face. Her heart broke at the sight and she immediately pulled him inside, wrapping her arms around him gently.

She led him to the couch where they both sat, Blaine burying his head on his mother's neck, sobbing uncontrollably and holding her tightly. She rocked him back and forth, caressing his face, his curls, rubbing his back and whispering comforting things in his ear. Slowly, Blaine began to calm down and when she felt his sobs stop, she pulled away and grabbed his face between her hands. She gently wiped the tears away.

"What happened, sweetie?"

Blaine attempted to speak but he his voice broke and he sobbed again. Kate held him tighter and rocked him gentler, waiting for him to calm down once more, enough to tell him what had him like this, although it was pretty obvious what the cause was.

"Kurt, h-he…" he sniffed. "I b-broke up with h-him and I really – I d-didn't want to, mom. I r-really didn't want t-to and i-it hurts. It hurts…"

Kate's heart broke yet again.

"Loving s-someone shouldn't – it s-shouldn't hurt t-this much."

"Oh, honey…" Kate rubbed circles on his back. She was at a loss of what to say. She knew Kurt had some commitment issues but she didn't think they'd break up soon. Not if the way Kurt looked at her son had anything to do with it.

"What happened?" she asked him softly, noticing how Blaine's breathing was steadier. He pulled away and settled his eyes on his hands that were twisting nervously on his lap.

"H-he, um, I found –" Blaine stopped himself, thinking what he wanted her to know. "We just – we want different things."

Kate knew there was something else he wasn't telling her but she didn't push. She pressed a hand to his face.

"I'm so sorry, sweetie."

Blaine just shrugged and raised his eyes to her. He gave her a weak smile.

"C'est la vie," he whispered brokenly.

Kate pursed her lips and tried to stop her own tears from falling. She hated to see her baby boy like this, heartbroken and… tired. Because Blaine looked tired. She was about to speak when Blaine beat her.

"Can I – I mean, is it okay if I just go to sleep?"

"Of course! Come, the guest room is yours," she said getting up and leading him to his room. She hadn't wanted to put a lot of Blaine's things in it because he would be leaving for New York soon but when she opened the door, he noticed how she had hung some of the pictures he used to have in his old room. That made him smile just a little.

"I'll be here if you need me, okay?"

He nodded and hugged her.

"Thank you, mom."

He closed the door and leaned against it, closing his eyes and letting a loud sigh escape his mouth. He was so tired and sad and his eyes hurt from all the crying he'd done. He swallowed hard and started to take off his clothes.

Once he was inside the sheets he stared at the ceiling. His mind was still going through everything that had happened in the last few days. He didn't want to think about it anymore but he couldn't help it. The image of Kurt's hollow, numb eyes was there, the coldness in his voice as he showed Blaine just how different they were. He had really thought Kurt loved him throughout their months together but seeing him react like he had tonight he wasn't so sure anymore.

Before he could stop them, tears started streaming down his face again.

When he woke up, he found his mom already up and unpacking the last things on the boxes in the living room. He offered to help her and they did the task silently. When they were finished, they sat to have breakfast. It was quiet at first, only the sound of the cutlery against their dishes filling the room.

"What do you want to do today?" Kate suddenly asked him.

Blaine stared at his plate for a few seconds, toying with his fork before raising his head and meeting his mom's eyes. He shrugged.

"Um, I dunno… I just feel like moping all day, eating ice-cream and watching movies."

"Well, I think I've got some chocolate ice-cream on the fridge," Kate said getting up and grabbing their dishes. Blaine helped her.

"Do you want to invite Quinn and Santana over? Maybe call Puck or one of those nice jocks that took you under their wing after the dance?"

Blaine thought it over. "I think I'll call the girls. The jocks still freak me out a bit."

"Whatever you want, honey."

Blaine smiled.

He really had the best mom in the world.

* * *

><p>Kurt woke up to the most horrible headache he had ever had. He groaned loudly and threw the sheets over his face, trying to hide from the blinding light coming through his window. After a minute of lying there and not getting back to sleep he groaned again and tried to get out of his bed, only to be stopped by the throbbing pain in his head. He tried again, slower this time and finally was able to sit on the edge of the bed. He noticed an empty bottle by his night-stand and pieces of glass scattered on the floor in front of him. He had apparently thrown his glass to the wall after having drunk his entire bottle of tequila.<p>

"Shit!" he hissed as he got out of his bed, careful not to step on any pieces of glass.

He grabbed the side of his head and made his way to the fridge. Yanking it open, he took a beer out and took a big gulp out of it, eager to feel a little bit better. He saw the big, wall clock that was hanging on one of the walls and noticed it was already 3 o'clock. After he finished his beer, he went to the bathroom and took a shower. He stayed under the burning water for a while, lost in his thoughts, going over his mistakes and wishing that just once, just once, he would find the strength and the courage to make things right. Right with Finn, right with Rachel, but mostly, right with Blaine. To stop being a coward. But he didn't – he couldn't. He wasn't strong enough.

So the moment he stepped out of the shower, Kurt Hummel, asshole extraordinaire, returned. He styled his hair perfectly, did his moisturizing routine, swallowed a couple of aspirins, put on his sunglasses, got into his hottest, tightest clothes and around 6 o'clock, he got out of his apartment.

As he drove his black Porsche through the streets of Lima, he turned up the radio and focused on the music playing. On a red light, he turned to see a handsome man staring right back at him from the car next to his. He was an older man, probably in his late forties and was looking at him lustfully. Kurt remained unfazed, his black sunglasses hiding whatever expression he had on his blue eyes. The man eyed him carefully and winked at him to which Kurt replied with an arched eyebrow.

The light turned green and Kurt's attention focused on the road ahead. His mind started to wander back to a pair of hazel eyes and terrified of what those thoughts could do to him, he pushed them away roughly and pressed the accelerator, as if trying to escape his own mind. Several cars hunk at him as he passed by but he didn't care. Finally, he got to his destination.

Epsilon.

He reached the door and the guards immediately let him in, everyone in the club knew who he was and about his free access. It was not as crowded, for it was still early but there were some guys dancing lazily and a few others in the bar.

As he walked through the dance floor, his eyes settled for the small hallway that led to the bathrooms and a flashback of his confrontation with Blaine a few months ago came rushing back. The way he had spat those cruel words to the boy and have him respond just as fiercely and the way his eyes sparked with emotion and _life _filled his head. He shook it quickly and turned his head only to be greeted by the back door where he had gone out with Finn the night he had met Blaine.

The night he had met Blaine.

So many times he had regretted taking him home that night because of everything the boy made him feel. Others, he felt like it was a good thing to have found him standing awkwardly outside the club. Tonight, though, it was nothing more than a pain on his chest and a trigger for memories he didn't want to relive.

Blaine Anderson had become both his blessing and his curse.

He snapped out of those thoughts, angry at himself for even letting them invade his mind in the first place and he stomped to the bar where he asked for a drink. The bartender quickly obliged and he drank it all in one gulp, setting the glass down and asking for another. He did the same with that one and asked for yet another. That third one he drank slowly and turned around to see the dance floor begin to crowd. He watched the men dance and make out around him until he finally saw a guy interesting enough to catch his eye. The guy noticed the attention and smiled, giving Kurt a flirty look. He finished his drink, turned to leave the glass on the counter and made his way to the guy on the dance floor.

If going back to who he used to be was the way to get Blaine out of his head and his severely damaged heart, he was happy to do it.

* * *

><p>"Can I break his arm?"<p>

"No."

"Can I break his nose?"

"No."

"Can I break his anything?"

"No."

"Fine, can I castrate him?"

"What? Santana, just – n-no, no you can't."

"Well, I have to do _something_! I can't just sit here and see you like this and not go there and rip his head off!"

"While I think it's nice of you to care so much about me, I really don't want you break or rip anything from anyone."

"Fine," Santana crossed her arms. "But if I casually run into him in the streets, I _will_ go all Lima Heights on him."

Blaine gave her a small smile and shook his head. Both Santana and Quinn had arrived a couple of hours ago and he had told them what had happened. He decided not to tell Santana about the cheating part. He had just told her they had broken up because they weren't compatible. So far, the only person that really knew everything that had led to his breaking up with Kurt was Quinn.

They had been watching the _Die Hard_ movies, since Quinn had told him the best thing after a break up was to watch action movies with little to none romantic scenes. So far it had been good and Blaine was feeling slightly better. After they finished watching the second and he stood up to get the third one on the DVD, though, the round of questions began again.

"What are you going to do about your clothes and stuff?" Quinn had asked him.

Blaine sighed.

"I'm going to go to his house while he's at work during the week and get my things. And I'm also thinking of quitting my job at the dinner."

"What? B-but –"

"I just think it'd be weird to continue to work there. I mean, the owners _are_ Kurt's dad and stepmom. If I stay they'll feel like they have to choose between Kurt and I and I'm not making them do that. And as much as I love them both, I just don't think I could handle any more awkwardness right now. Or ever, for that matter. Besides, I'm leaving in a couple of months."

After he got the movie in, he returned to his place in the couch.

"By the way, you and your mom wanted to go there early, didn't you?" Quinn asked him.

"Yeah, my mom wants us to go to New York soon to check out where I'll be staying and know my way around the city. She's paranoid about me getting lost or assaulted or whatever. And I know she's having a hard time dealing with me leaving so I figured we could use this trip as a mother-son bonding experience."

"Not that you two need any "bonding time", I have never seen a guy and his mom get along as well as you two do," Santana commented.

"Yeah, well, I'm lucky like that," Blaine shrugged.

"When are you going?"

"Two weeks from now, when spring break starts."

"Are you excited?" Quinn nudged him on the ribs.

He smiled down at her. "Yeah, are you?"

"Yeah, I can't wait to see what college life is like!"

Santana looked at her two friends fondly.

"You two better stay in touch and come back here as much as you can, you hear me?" she threatened them.

She had been accepted into Ohio State, which meant they would all go to different places. It was a subject they didn't want to go through, since it was too painful to think of not seeing each other every day but now that graduation was drawing closer, they had started to think of plans and ways to be in touch constantly.

"Of course, and we'll Skype all the time, right Quinnie?"

"You bet we will," Quinn smiled.

Santana's own smiled widened.

"Awww, let's have a group hug!"

They all laughed and continued their Die Hard marathon.

Luckily for Blaine, his mom had kept some of his clothes with her ever since she had left his dad so he did have something to wear when the week started and Blaine had to go back to school. He decided to go to Kurt's for everything once classes were over, since he knew there was absolutely no way Kurt would be home at that hour.

Things at school went by as usual but Blaine's heart skipped a beat when his last class ended. He felt incredibly nervous about going to that apartment he had called home for several months now. He knew it would hurt to go there but it was something he needed to do so when he got out of school, he drove his mom's car to Kurt's apartment, parked right in front of the entrance, took a deep breath and went inside the building with the bags on his hand.

When he was inside the apartment, his heart sank just a bit at the sight. He sighed again and immediately started looking for his things. He got all of his sketchbooks and drawing and painting materials first and took a nostalgic look at the easel on the corner. He shook the feeling off and went to the bedroom. Flashes of their nights spent in that bed came back to him and he had to close his eyes for a moment to steady himself. He needed to do this. He opened his eyes and went to the drawers, getting his stuff out.

On the night-stand, Blaine noticed some bottles and frowned. For his own mental sanity, he ignored them and focused on getting all his clothes out. Once everything was packed and he was standing by the door, he took one last look to the place and left.

His next stop was going to be even more difficult than the last one; Blaine could feel it.

When he stepped into the familiar dinner, the smell of food and the muffled sound of voices made his heart ache. This diner now held a special place in his heart and he didn't want to say goodbye. But then again, he hadn't wanted to say goodbye to a lot of things he ended up letting go. This was just another one to add to that pile.

Carole was busy taking orders and Blaine was surprised to find that Burt was there too, helping her out.

Great.

This would now be twice as hard as he had originally thought.

The first one to notice him standing there, unsure of what to do, was Carole.

"Blaine! Hi, sweetie!" there was a hint of surprise in her voice as she spoke.

He knew why; today was his day off. He tried to give her the best, most normal smile he could and went to hug her. Burt saw them interact and joined them.

"Hey, buddy. What's up?"

Blaine's weak smile faded. "I, uh, I want to talk to you guys."

Both shared a quizzical look and nodded, gesturing him to an empty booth. He went there and sat down, them sitting in front of him. They looked at him, waiting for him to start talking so Blaine took a deep breath and placed his arms on the table.

"I-I… God, this is difficult. I want to – I mean, I need to quit my job here."

Carole's eyes widened and Burt frowned.

"But why?" Carole asked, completely baffled.

"I, well, you see, Kurt and I, we – we sort of broke up and it's just… I-I really don't want to make thinks uncomfortable for you guys or –"

"Wait. You and Kurt broke up?" Burt said with a flat tone. His face revealed nothing. It was unnerving.

"Y-yeah," Blaine cleared his throat awkwardly. "Yeah, we did."

"Why?"

"We just… We didn't agree on certain things and we decided it was better to… end everything."

Carole sighed but Burt frowned even deeper and he gave Blaine this unreadable look. He got nervous under the man's stare and he was certain Burt knew there was more to it than Blaine was letting them know. Fortunately, he said nothing. Blaine lowered his head just to stop having to look into Burt's eyes that seemed to see right through him.

"Listen, kid, I'm really sorry things didn't work out with Kurt but you're crazy if you think we're letting you go that easily."

Blaine's head shot upwards.

"You are part of this family now Blaine, you and _your _family. Whatever happened between you and my son is not going to change that. So, I'm sorry, but I can't accept your little resigning speech."

Blaine's wide eyes were fixed on Burt, who gave him a warm smile. Carole, sitting next to him, gave a small, approving nod.

"You got that?" Burt asked him.

Blaine suddenly felt like crying but he was tired of the tears so he just bit his lip and nodded.

"Good. Now, come help us take orders. It's a busy day today."

"Yes, sir." Blaine answered smiling.

* * *

><p>Kurt came home extremely late that night, after calling in sick at work and spending his entire day fucking the cute guy he had met at Epsilon. He got his coat off like he usually did and turned on the lights. As he was leaving it on the couch and he lifted his head, he caught sight of Blaine's little artistic corner and noticed that the sketchbooks, pencils and brushes were gone. His lips parted in surprise and he stopped breathing.<p>

Feeling his heart on his throat, he went to his bedroom and yanked the drawers open, finding nothing in them. He ran a hand through his hair desperately and bit his lip hard. His arm fell heavily on his side and he let himself drop on the bed.

"Fuck," he whispered to himself as he placed an arm over his face.

"He really is gone."

* * *

><p>Finn and Rachel came back from their honeymoon a week after their wedding. A big welcome party was organized at their usual place; the diner. Blaine was invited, obviously, but didn't want to go because he was certain Kurt would be there. Burt had noticed his discomfort when Carole had asked him to come.<p>

"Don't sweat it, kid. Kurt's been busy and he can't make it. Or at least, that's what he keeps saying." Burt muttered that last part to himself but Blaine was able to hear him.

His heart sank at the endless possibilities that could keep Kurt "busy" but decided to let it go. It was none of his business anymore.

Everyone was gathered in the dinner when Finn and Rachel appeared, their bags in hand since they had grabbed a cab from the airport straight to the dinner. Carole and Kate had hung a sign that read "Welcome Home, Newlyweds!" in fancy handwriting, with some doodles at the edges Blaine had done. Everyone cheered and ushered the married couple inside while taking turns hugging them and asking them about their trip.

Rachel immediately started telling them all about their hotel and the beach and every place they had been too and even how she had sung at one of the dinner shows at the hotel's restaurant.

"You know my wife, she can never go too long without being on the spotlight," Finn had teased. The look on his face and the way he said the word 'wife' was enough to let everyone see how in love he was and how proud he was to have her.

After the original excitement had subsided, they all got into small groups, chatting along. Blaine was sitting on a booth with Puck and his dad when he saw Finn shaking hands and a one-shoulder hug with Burt. They were close enough for Blaine to hear what they were saying.

"Nice to have you back, bud. Kurt couldn't come but I bet he's happy you're back."

"I wouldn't count on that," Finn said, his smile fading.

"What? Why?"

Blaine tried to appear too busy looking at his phone but his ears were listening intently to the conversation.

"We got into a fight before I left. He came to see me and was all over me because of –" he stopped talking and Blaine was dying to turn around and see why but that would give him away so he continued to stare at his phone.

"But why?" Burt sounded just as confused as Blaine felt.

"Because he thinks it's my fault. He was just being an asshole, uh, no offense. I'll tell you about it later."

"Damn it, Kurt," Burt hissed and the conversation was over, because at that moment, Carole asked Burt to help her get the food out of the kitchen.

Blaine didn't understand anything. Kurt and Finn were not talking to each other? They had fought before Finn left? But when? He was sure everything was fine when he and Kurt had said goodbye to them at the wedding. And after that Finn and Rachel had left to Hawaii. Could it be it had something to do with him? But what could that be that Finn had to be involved?

Too many questions filled his head and nothing made sense. He didn't want to think about this whole deal anymore. He was glad his mom and he would be leaving for New York soon for their reconnaissance tour.

He could use a break.

* * *

><p>Burt needed to have a talk with his son. Ever since he had learned of his fight with Finn and what had prompted it, he knew things could not go on like this. They had reached a boiling point.<p>

The problem was, he couldn't get a hold of Kurt. The kid had been sneaky, making excuses not to see any of them, not even setting a foot in the dinner. Burt knew why; Kurt didn't want to run into Blaine. That was why Burt had waited until Blaine had left for New York with Kate to get Kurt to see him.

He got home from the workshop and got a text from Harold, Blaine's dad. After the friction at the beginning and the apologizing that followed, the two mean had come to amiable terms and were now friends. He had text Burt to let him know that Blaine and Kate had already boarded the plane. This was perfect. He could now force Kurt to see him and his son couldn't refuse anymore; Blaine was not around.

He made the call and waited for Kurt to pick up.

"_Hello?"_

"Hey, kiddo."

"_Oh hi, Dad. What's up?"_

"Nothing much. I need to talk to you, think you can come over?"

"_I don't think I can today…"_

"Kurt, Blaine's not even in Ohio right now so no excuses," he heard a sharp breath come from the other end. Kurt probably didn't know that Blaine had gone to New York with his mom. "I need you to come here now because I really need to talk to you."

Burt usually didn't use his 'dad tone'. He really didn't have to. Kurt had always been a good kid even with everything that had happened to him. Finn was a mess sometimes but he didn't get in trouble either. He could count the times he had used that tone with one hand, this moment being one of them.

Kurt noticed and was silent for a few seconds.

"_Fine, I'll be there in twenty minutes."_

He hung up and Burt sighed. He had a feeling this would not go well.

Kurt got there half an hour after their talk. The doorbell rang and Burt went to get it. He was greeted with a thinner, more tired looking version of his son. He had bags under his eyes and he smelled of cheap alcohol and cigarettes. Burt knew Kurt didn't smoke so the smell probably came from spending time partying around with people who did.

Yes, this was _definitely _not going to go well.

"What's the big thing you had to talk to me about?" Kurt said as he entered the house.

"I think you know, son."

Kurt sighed and ran a hand through his head, a gesture that surprised Burt. Kurt never let anything mess up his hairdo.

"If this is about Blaine," he said turning to the door. "I'm not hearing it –"

"Turn around and sit, Kurt," Burt said, his voice harsher than he had intended.

Kurt stood with his back to his dad before sighing and sitting on the couch. Burt followed.

"I need you to talk to me. What's going on? First I hear you broke up with Blaine and then I find out you and Finn are not talking to each other? What the hell happened?"

"Whatever I do with my life is my business only. And whatever happened between Finn and I was between us. I can't believe he went and ratted me out."

"Hey, there's no need to use that tone with me. And he didn't rat you out. But, kid, I just don't get what's happening. You and Blaine were doing good, why did you decide to just –"

"Oh, I didn't decide anything. It was all his idea." There was a hint of bitterness to Kurt's tone and that made Burt's face soften.

His boy was heartbroken.

"But why –"

"It's better that way, though," Kurt interrupted him. "I was getting tired of him anyway."

"Oh, Kurt stop lying to yourself. Can't you see what this attitude is doing to you? You don't need to act like this anymore."

"Why do people assume I'm 'acting'?" Kurt suddenly yelled. "Why is it so hard for you to understand that this –" he gestured to himself. "_This is who I am!_ The stupid, naïve little boy you all miss is gone! Why can't you just accept that?"

"Because we all know _this_ not the real you!" Burt yelled back.

"What the hell do you know? Why can't you just leave me alone?"

"Because we love you!" Burt felt his heart beginning to race in his chest.

Kurt scoffed.

"Oh, okay. Go ahead. Laugh at this. Tell me how stupid I am for loving my own son. Tell me how wrong I am for believing you can change."

"What if I don't want to change? Huh? What if I like who I am?"

"I don't think you do. And I think you're angry right now because you're hurt. Because you love Blaine and you hate that he's gone."

Kurt huffed and turned his face away.

"You don't need to do this anymore, Kurt."

"Well, it's really none of your business, is it?" Kurt spat and got up, turning his back on his father.

Burt stood up as well, feeling his blood boil in his veins at the anger and frustration he felt. His heart thumped even faster in his chest and his hand shot to it as he tried to steady his breathing. He let his hand fall to his side.

"Damn it, Kurt! What's it going to take for you to see the light?"

Kurt turned around.

"Certainly not all of you pestering me around."

And with that he whirled around, walked to the door.

"Kurt! You come back here!"

"Kurt?" Burt heard Carole in the entrance as well as the sound of an engine and wheels leaving the front porch.

He felt a pang on his chest and his hand immediately grabbed his left side as short, shallow breaths came out of his mouth. He started to go dizzy and he fell down.

The last thing he remembered was Carole running towards him and screaming as blackness surrounded him.

* * *

><p><strong>Papa Burt! :( <strong>

**Just a quick note, in this story, Burt never had a heart attack before now.**

**Please R&R :)**


	20. Chapter 20

**Hi guys! So yeah.. It's been decided now... One more chapter after this and then the epilogue and that would be it for this story. **

**I can't thank you enough for taking the time to read it and review it. There are some people that have said they actually _fell in love with it _and it's just so surreal to me! Thank you, a thousand times thank you!**

* * *

><p>Kurt drove around, not really knowing where to go. He was angry. Angry at his father for making him see how fucked up he was, angry at Blaine for leaving him, but mostly, angry at himself, for pushing every person that mattered to him away.<p>

He had turned off his cell phone because he was sure his father would call him and ask him to come back. He couldn't do that. He was so tired of putting on this mask of a man that didn't give a damn but it was so much harder to take it away. He'd lived behind the safeness of that mask for far too long and he was afraid to know what his life would be like – could be like – if he just tossed it aside.

He tried to continue driving without thinking of any of them but something his father had told him was bothering him.

"_Blaine's not even in Ohio right now so no excuses."_

Blaine wasn't in Ohio? Why? Where was he? Had he gone to New York? But his high school graduation was still a few weeks away. Kurt hadn't wanted to ask his father why Blaine wasn't around but the uncertainty was killing him. He also couldn't complain. He had avoided Blaine, the diner and his family like the plague, just for fear of running into the younger man.

After a little over two hours of driving around, emptying his tank and refilling it, he drove back home. When he parked his car he noticed Finn's truck parked right outside his building. He frowned and got out. Finn seemed to have spotted him from the inside because the moment Kurt began walking towards the truck, he opened the door and got out. His eyes were red and he looked pale.

"Where the hell have you been, dude? And why haven't you answered your phone?"

Kurt thought of a snarky comeback but the look on Finn's face made him stop. Something was not right.

"I, um, I turned it off. What's wrong?"

"Burt, he…." Finn sniffed. "He had a heart attack, Kurt."

Kurt felt his blood turn cold. His eyes widened and his breathing hitched. Surely this was a mistake. Surely he had fallen asleep at the wheel and he would wake up or die in car crash or something. Because this was not happening.

"… What?"

"I don't really know the details. My mom found him when she got home…"

"B-but I was there! I was with him just a few hours ago! I-I mean… I saw Carole come in and I –"

Carole had come home when he and his father were fighting. He had crossed her in the entrance and hadn't stopped at her questions or his dad's shouts to go back. If she had found him when she arrived home…

It had happened just as he left the house.

Because they had been fighting.

His father had a heart attack because of him.

"Oh god…"

"Kurt?"

"It's my fault…"

"What?"

"I did this to him."

Finn shook his head.

"N-no, Kurt. Don't blame yourself. You just –"

"I was just an asshole to my dad and I caused him a heart attack."

Finn was rendered speechless. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. It wasn't like he and Kurt were on the best of terms either but he still loved his brother and he hated to see the look on Kurt's face.

"Come on," he finally let out. "Let's get to the hospital."

The ride was painfully silent. Finn didn't even dare to turn on the radio. Kurt had not said a single word since they had gotten inside the truck and he was now staring outside the window, arms wrapped around his thin frame tightly.

Carole was in the waiting room when they arrived, buying a coffee from a vending machine. Rachel was right next to her talking on the phone to her dads. When Carole spotted them, she left the coffee and threw her arms around Kurt, hugging him tightly.

"Oh, honey, here you are! We've been so worried."

Kurt felt a pang of guilt. He had caused all of this. He had caused his dad so much stress, he had suffered a heart attack. He had made his stepmom worried, he had made his brother look for him all over the city even though they weren't on speaking terms because Kurt had been an asshole.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled because he didn't know what else to say.

Rachel hugged him too, a little bit more hesitant, while Carole hugged Finn.

"How is he?" Kurt whispered, dreading whatever news they were going to give him.

"H-he… He's in a coma, sweetheart."

Kurt blinked once.

"A-and they d-don't know i-if he'll wake u-up…" Carole sobbed.

He took a deep breath and turned his back on her, his heart beating rapidly against his chest. He felt like he couldn't breathe, like the air didn't get to his lungs. He felt dizzy, he felt sick, and he felt a million things at the same time.

"This is not happening…"

Kurt did the only thing he could think of at the moment: he ran. He ran through the halls of the hospital, trying not to knock someone over. He just needed some air; he needed to escape his reality. The front doors opened up automatically and he stumbled outside. He gasped for air and pulled at his hair. His eyes were shut tight and he wished for nothing more than to turn back time and stop himself from saying all those horrible things to his father. To tell him the truth, tell him how angry he was at himself for making Blaine leave. Tell him how hurt was when Blaine walked out the door. Tell him how sorry he was that he had hurt Finn and Rachel and ruined their night. Tell him how grateful he was for having such a beautiful family.

Tell him… that he loved him.

He wanted to tell his father how much he loved him because he truly, truly did. He felt so stupid for wasting so much time in denial, in pretending he didn't feel anything when in reality, he had never stopped feeling. He just stopped showing it. He got so wrapped up in his façade of the numb, no-strings-attached kind of guy that at one point he believed that's who he truly was. But he wasn't, he had never been and he would never be.

He just hoped he had a chance to tell his father just that.

He walked towards the nearest wall and leaned into it, sliding to the floor. He stayed there for a while before slowly getting up and back inside.

Carole came out of the room where Burt was resting to find Kurt awkwardly standing outside. He had his back resting against the wall and he was biting his thumb nervously. His hair was messier than it had been before he bolted out of the waiting room.

"Kurt?" she called him quietly and he raised his eyes to her.

"Sorry," he mumbled. "You know, for, um, running away earlier."

"It's okay, sweetie."

"I just… I don't know how to deal with this. With… with seeing him lying there and knowing I'm the reason he's there."

"No, Kurt… this was _not _your fault."

"But he… I stressed him out! I upset him and he… I-I did this to him."

Carole grabbed his face in her hands.

"Look at me, Kurt. This was _not _your fault. Sure, he got riled up in your discussion for what I could tell but it wasn't just that. The doctors said his cholesterol levels were too high and a heart attack was an impending threat. It was likely to happen whether you two fought or not."

Kurt sighed and shut his eyes.

"Can I – can I go see him?"

"Of course."

Kurt nodded and looked to the door behind. He took a deep breath, disentangled himself from Carole's grasp and went to grab the knob. His hand trembled as he turned it and he was immediately welcomed to the sound of the monitor next to his father's bed. Kurt's hand flew to his mouth as he concentrated on not throwing up. Burt looked extremely pale, the tubes making him look tiny and hopeless.

Kurt walked slowly to the edge of the bed, his fingertips lightly touching the sheets of the bed, until he reached his father's hand. He grabbed it and held it between his.

"Hi, dad."

The only answer he got was the steady beep of the monitor next to them.

"I don't know if you can hear me but they always say one should talk in situations like this, right? And who knows? Maybe you _can _hear me. I… God, I feel so stupid."

He lowered his head and gave a humorless laugh. His grip on Burt's hand tightened as he raised his head again to look at his face.

"I'm so sorry, dad. For – for being such a pain in the ass all these years. I'm sorry for pushing you away after what happened back then. I'm sorry I always seem to take my anger out on you and I'm really sorry I said such terrible things last time we s-spoke…"

His voice trembled and he tried to clear his throat.

"And I'm sorry I haven't been the son you deserve. I-I am so, _so_ lucky to have you and I never got to t-tell y-you that. Please… please d-don't leave me. Please. Let me f-fix this. Wake up, for me. For Carole. For Finn and Rachel. Wake u-up so you can see that I'm not really the douche I pretend to be. Wake up so I-I can tell you h-how m-much I l-love you. Just – please don't leave me…"

His voice broke and for the first time in six years, he let the tears fall and he cried until he fell asleep, his hands tightly wrapped around Burt's.

* * *

><p>"That was hilarious!" Blaine said as he and his mom got out of the Eugene O'Neill Theatre after watching The Book of Mormon.<p>

"What should we see tomorrow?" his mom asked and Blaine laughed.

"Whatever you want, mom."

"You're going to have so much fun around here," she suddenly commented as she linked her arm around his.

They walked through the streets of New York, enjoying the warm weather and stopping every now and then at the small gift shops. They had wandered around, finding some small, cheap restaurants where he'd be able to eat after classes or a laundry place for his clothes. They had even found an incredible art shop that Blaine was certain he would visit regularly once he was settled.

They had spent that morning sitting on a bench in Central Park. Kate had brought a book and had been reading while Blaine drew the beautiful scenery unfolding before him. There was so much he wanted to draw from that city and he couldn't wait to capture as many as he could in his sketchbook.

Blaine was glad they had done this. It was a great thing to have his mom around to help him discover the city and spend some time together. Ever since they had left his father's house and he'd been living with Kurt, they had only really spent time like they used to on holidays or the reunions down at the diner. He missed being with her which was why he had decided to dedicate these few days to her. He had told Quinn, Santana and Finn he would turn off his cell phone and turn it back on when they got back in two days.

It was also to keep himself from calling Kurt. He knew it would probably happen if he had his phone with him for too long. He couldn't help it, he missed him. He missed his smile, his eyes, and his smooth skin. He just missed _Kurt_.

It was dangerous to have his phone around, so it stayed buried deep in his suitcase.

* * *

><p>Kurt woke up the next day to find a blanket was covering him. He shifted around and rubbed his face with one of his hands while the other one stayed hooked to his father. He turned around to find Finn reading a magazine in the small couch in front of him with Rachel sleeping soundly in his lap. Kurt watched the way Finn gently ran a hand through Rachel's hair as he balanced the magazine with one hand and maneuvered it around to turn the page.<p>

He laid his head back down so Finn wouldn't notice he was up. A pang of guilt shot through him again as he recalled the terrible things he had said to them before they left for Hawaii. Another one of his screw ups he planned on fixing.

Rachel stirred up on Finn's lap and he stopped reading. Kurt pretended to still be asleep as he watched them interact. Finn left the magazine aside and smiled down to his wife.

"Hey, beautiful."

"Hi," she smiled back, her voice groggy. "Any changes?" she asked, more alert, as she sat up and turned to look at Burt.

"No," Finn said sadly.

They remained quiet as Kurt continued to pretend he was sleeping.

"Watching him sleeping like that makes me remember the sleepovers we used to have back in high school," Rachel whispered. "I remember thinking that's what New York would be like, sleepovers and movie marathons every night with my best friend."

Finn chuckled.

"Too bad we never got to do that when we actually moved there."

Kurt swallowed hard.

Why had it taken his father almost dying for him to realize all the mistakes he had made?

"Many times things don't go as planned," Finn replied.

"Yeah," Rachel said absentmindedly.

"I hate how worn out and tired he looks," Finn commented after some moments of silence. "And I was so scared when we couldn't find him. I mean, I'm still pissed at what he did on our wedding day but –"

"But he's your brother," Kurt could feel the smile in Rachel's voice as she said that.

"But he's my brother and I just hate seeing him like that. I just wish there was something I could do or say to make him stop hurting."

"Blaine leaving him really hit him hard, didn't it?"

Kurt tensed up.

"Yeah, it really did." He heard Finn say.

"Does Blaine know? About…"

"No, I mean, I don't think so. He's still in New York with his mom. He won't come back for another day or two. My mom hasn't really had the time or the head to call Kate either, or Blaine's dad for that matter."

"You think it would help if he… you know, if we asked him to come when he gets back?"

"I don't know but I'm willing to try. I may not be able to do much for Burt but I won't sit around and continue to watch my brother lose himself. I can't lose either of them."

"I love you," Rachel breathed.

"I love you, too."

There was the sound of someone shifting.

"I'm gonna go grab something to eat. You want anything?" Finn asked her.

"I'll go with you," Rachel said.

The door opened and closed quietly and Kurt was left alone in the room with his father. He sniffed and raised his head, closing his eyes for a moment to stop the tears that seemed to continue to appear ever since he had opened up the dam the night before. It appeared to him that those were all the tears he had stopped from falling ever since that night when he had his body, heart and mind broken all at once.

He cursed under his breath at his own stupidity and wished, more than anything, that he hadn't pushed Blaine away like he had. Because Finn and Rachel were right. Blaine leaving him had been devastating. And he needed him.

He wished the younger boy could be there with him, holding his hand and supporting him like Finn and Rachel did with each other. He wished he could be right there to tell him everything would be okay and that they would go through it together, whatever happened. But he knew that wasn't possible. He knew he didn't deserve Blaine's kindness and love. He didn't deserve all the wonderful, loving people he had in his life.

But he couldn't stop himself from taking his phone out of his pocket and dialing Blaine's number.

* * *

><p>Blaine and his mom were at the airport, finishing their check-in, when he remembered it would probably be a good idea to turn his phone on. He had managed to stay away from it their entire stay and had, for a while, forgotten of his urge to call Kurt.<p>

He had enjoyed their little trip and he now knew enough about the city to survive when he returned in a few more weeks, this time to make it his new home. His mom turned and handed him his boarding pass. As they walked over to leave their bags and looked for their waiting room, he scanned through his emails and messages.

"I'm going to the ladies' room. I'll be right back, okay?" His mom told him and he nodded.

He sat down and started reading the unread messages he had. There were a few from Quinn randomly asking questions about the city with a last one that said she had just remembered he had told her he would turned his phone off and that they would talk when he got back. There were a few others from Puck and his father, all of them from the day he had left Ohio. He saw he had one more recent message in his voicemail and pressed the button to call right away. One could never know, it could be an important message.

The operator's voice came up, telling him with a mechanic, cold voice about the message and then a beep signaled the beginning of it. He recognized the voice and froze on the spot. His mom came back and noticed the look on his face. She shot him a puzzled look but his eyes were fixed on the floor..

"What is it?"

He raised a hand to stop her from talking. Kurt's voice was speaking to him from the other end, the voice sounding broken and infinitely sad.

"_Blaine? Oh, shit… voicemail. Okay… I… Um… I'm sorry I'm calling you. I heard you're with your mom in New York and I don't – I'm sorry… I think I just… my dad, he… he had a heart attack and I just… I think I need you…"_

* * *

><p>Finn was standing outside the hospital with the hands on his pocket. It had now been five full days since Burt had been hospitalized and there hadn't really been any changes. He was still in a coma and doctors still didn't know if he'd come out of it. His mom had not stopped crying and Rachel had been with her almost every moment of the day. Kurt had been sleeping next to his father, occasionally leaving to get some work done. They really hadn't talked. Finn wanted to, so they could clear the mess that had happened between them but couldn't bring himself to do it and Kurt looked so…lost.<p>

Which was why Finn had tried to call Blaine but he hadn't picked up his phone. He didn't know if it was because he was still in New York or simply because he didn't want to have anything to do with them. He couldn't exactly blame him if that was the case.

"Hi."

Finn turned to find Kurt standing there. He looked a bit more rested but he was still pale and the bags under his eyes were still noticeable.

"Hi," Finn offered back awkwardly. "You're okay?"

Kurt shrugged. "I guess."

Silence stretched between them and Finn rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. Kurt took a few steps forward until he was standing right next to him.

"I'm sorry," he said and Finn looked at him.

"What?"

Kurt shot him a sideways glance.

"For, you know, being such a dick before you guys left."

"Ah."

"I didn't mean to hurt you or ruin it all for you. I was just… I was angry and I needed to take it out on someone."

"Why were you angry?"

Finn knew exactly what Kurt had been angry about but that didn't stop him from asking him. He needed to hear this and from the looks of it, Kurt needed to say it.

"Because I had just been dumped," Kurt laughed bitterly. "Because I had done something to hurt him and he couldn't take it anymore, so he left. And it hurt, a lot. And I guess it was easier to blame you and your marriage for making him leave than taking responsibility for what I had done."

"Oh…"

"Anyway, I'm sorry. For everything, not just being an asshole that day. I'm sorry for making you come with me all those nights at the club and making you drive me around and take care of things I didn't want to deal with. I'm sorry I ruined that night for you and I –"

"It's okay, bro. I forgive you," Finn smiled. "You're my brother and I love you. No matter how many times you screw up, you still got my back."

Kurt smiled back.

Another stretch of silence filled the air but this time, it wasn't awkward. Finn looked at Kurt from the corner of his eye, debating on voicing the question on his mind. He cleared his throat to get his brother's attention.

"So… You love Blaine?"

Kurt stiffened at the name but relaxed after a moment, shoving his hands on the pockets of his jacket.

"I…"

"Kurt! Finn!"

Both men turned to see just the person they were talking about stumbled out of an airport cab with Kate following suit.

"Blaine?" Kurt breathed and Finn turned to see his brother's eyes fixed on Blaine, the spark returning to them.

"Um, hi," Blaine said awkwardly as he made his way to them.

"Why? What are you – Did you just came from the airport?"

"I-I… yeah." He wasn't looking Kurt in the eye. "How is he?"

"He hasn't woken up yet," Finn replied. He had a feeling Kurt had managed to leave a message to Blaine, which was why the kid was standing in front of them now.

Kurt couldn't take his eyes away from Blaine. Finn decided to leave them some moments of privacy and went to help Kate get the suitcases out and offer to put them in his truck.

"I can't believe you're here," Kurt whispered. He didn't trust his voice not to crack if he spoke any louder.

"You said you needed me," Blaine shrugged. "And no matter what happened between us, I still care about you _and _your family so…" he trailed off.

Kurt couldn't take it anymore. He lunged forward and hugged Blaine, who stumbled a bit from the surprise but then, tentatively, hugged him back.

"Thank you."

He pulled away and placed his hands on Blaine's face, brushing gently a stray, un-gelled curl blocking his hazel-green eyes. Blaine smiled faintly at him and Kurt's breathing hitched. He needed that smile. He needed this boy in his life. He couldn't let him go again. He pulled Blaine closer again, his lips brushing against the boy's ears as he whispered the words he knew he had felt for a while now.

"I love you."


	21. Chapter 21

**This is it, lovelies! We have reached the end. Once again, thank you to everyone who reviewed and read it. It was my first long story ever and to get someone to read it and say they liked it made my confidence boost. I am now encouraged to continue writing and try to get better and better.**

**I hope you like this and I see you again in another one of my stories. I'm so grateful for each and every one of the people who took the time to read my baby and I hope you like its ending and its epilogue, which I'll upload now as well. **

* * *

><p>"<em>I love you."<em>

Blaine's eyes widened and his heart stuttered in his chest.

"What?"

"I love you."

Blaine closed his eyes and grabbed Kurt's hands, removing them from his face.

"Kurt…"

"You wanna go inside?" Finn asked them as he and Kate returned from dropping the suitcases in the truck.

"Yeah, I want to see Burt," Blaine said, taking a step away from Kurt and following Finn inside the hospital.

Kurt remained behind after they had gotten inside. He sighed loudly. He felt so much better now that he had seen Blaine and had finally let him know how he felt but he could tell Blaine didn't believe him. He bit his lip. He couldn't blame him. Who would believe him after what he'd done, after how he'd acted? He grabbed the brick of his nose with his index and thumb and closed his eyes. Sighing again, he walked back to the hospital.

When he got to his father's room, he found Carole hugging Blaine tightly and crying while Kate rubbed her back. She told them what had happened and what the doctors had told them about Burt's condition. They stayed in the room for a while, keeping the Hummel-Hudsons company. They made small talk over the Anderson's small trip and Finn and Rachel's honeymoon. At some point, Carole and Kate left to get everyone some food.

All the while, Blaine avoided eye contact with Kurt. No matter how hard he tried to make those hazel orbs to see him, the boy wouldn't bulge. He'd look at Finn, at Rachel, at Burt's lying figure, at the floor and at the ceiling but never at Kurt. Not even when he spoke directly to him. Kurt was getting desperate; he wanted nothing more than to talk to Blaine in private.

It wasn't until Blaine's phone rang and he had to step outside the room that Kurt was able to get him alone.

"No, it was fine… Yeah… yeah, they don't know if he's going to wake up…" Blaine was saying.

Kurt's heart shrunk at the words. The possibility that his father would never wake up haunted him. He didn't even want to think about it. He needed to believe that his father would come back to them.

"Yeah. I'll keep you posted. Okay. Yeah. Love you too, Quinn. Okay. Bye."

Blaine turned around to find Kurt waiting for him. Blaine looked like a deer caught in the lights. There was even a hint of fear in his eyes.

"Kurt…" he whispered.

"I think we need to talk."

"I-I…"

"I know you didn't believe me back there. But I mean it, Blaine. I love you –"

"No, you don't," Blaine interrupted.

"I'm telling you I –"

"You're scared, I get it. Seeing your dad like this was a wakeup call and now you're scared. You feel you need to fix everything. I get all that, I really do."

Blaine smiled a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"But you don't love me."

Kurt opened his mouth to reply but no words came out. He didn't know what to say to make Blaine see he meant it. He let out a frustrated sigh and Blaine raised a hand, to let him know he wasn't finished.

"Now, I'm here for you and I'm going to be here no matter what happens. I'll hold your hand if you need me to and lend you my shoulder to cry on. But please… please don't do this. Don't say things now that you'll regret later. Don't say things you don't really feel. If you're doing this is because you're scared of losing the people in your life, don't. I'm not going anywhere until I know you and your family are okay. I do still love you and I want to be here for you, but I'm here as a _friend _and nothing more."

Kurt's hurt look pierced Blaine's heart, tearing it apart into a million tiny pieces. He wanted nothing more than to believe those three words Kurt had whispered in his ear but he couldn't. He wouldn't be able to take it if it turned out they were said out of a moment of panic, a moment of disorientation and confusion for Kurt.

Blaine needed to protect his heart.

He gave Kurt a weak smile and walked back to Burt's room, stopping to hesitantly place a hand on Kurt's shoulder and disappearing behind the door. Kurt just stood there with his eyes shut tight and his fists clenched. He could almost hear his heart break at Blaine's words.

_I'm here as a friend and nothing more. _

How could he show him that it _wasn't_ a spur of the moment thing? How could he transmit the feeling he had whenever he saw those eyes? With the way he had treated Blaine the last days they'd been together, he knew he'd never convince him.

But maybe…

Maybe if he let Blaine know everything, he would believe him. He needed to tell Blaine about the clothing line, about his plans, about watching Karofsky in the news… everything. Maybe then Blaine would understand. Maybe then he would accept Kurt back.

It was a long shot and he knew it. He knew if he had been honest from the very beginning he would never have lost Blaine. He knew there was a chance he'd tell Blaine everything and the boy would still want nothing more to do with him romantically. Perhaps he'd be stuck forever in the "friend zone".

That would be okay. Sure, it would hurt like hell, but he'd live.

He could live with that, if it turned out to be his only option. He could be just friends with Blaine, even if he'd always love the boy. He'd even shut up and take it if Blaine found someone else. There was just one thing he couldn't and wouldn't do and that was to let him out of his life again.

He needed Blaine, in any way, shape, or form the boy would want it. He just couldn't lose him again.

When he returned to his father's room, he found Kate and Blaine were saying goodbye to Carole, Finn and Rachel. His heartbeat increased and fear crept to his chest. Blaine saw him come in and gave him a small smile.

"Kurt," Kate said as she also noticed him enter the room. "We're going home to take a bath and take a nap. We're a bit worn out."

Her reassuring tone made Kurt think she sensed his fear and was trying to calm him down.

"Yeah," Blaine said. "We did just come from the airport so…" he trailed off.

"Right, yeah… Um, thanks for coming and for… everything."

Kate gave him a hug and caressed his cheek.

"We'll come back tomorrow," she promised.

Blaine stopped awkwardly in front of him.

"See you tomorrow," he mumbled, blushing.

"Yeah," Kurt replied, stepping aside to let them get out of the room.

* * *

><p>The Andersons arrived at the hospital the next day around noon. Everyone from the Hudson-Hummel clan was there already, Rachel had brought them donuts and coffee and they were all eating quietly when they walked in. This time, Harold was also there. Both families talked a little and then proceeded to take turns around Burt's bed to keep him company.<p>

Blaine tried not to be with Kurt alone. He had managed to keep Finn or Rachel around and so far, the only words he had exchanged with Kurt were the greetings in the morning and a few answers to his questions about New York. He knew it was cowardly to hide from the older man but Blaine needed to do this. He needed to put some space between them until Kurt got the idea of his alleged love out of his mind. He knew once things had calmed down and Burt woke up, Kurt would see things clearly and realize it was just a spur of the moment thing, nothing he actually would've meant were the situation different.

Still, Blaine had allowed himself a few moments to believe those three little words. He had been alone in his room, replaying the moment in his mind before he drifted to sleep, thinking it could somehow be true. But that moment had passed and it was time to face reality. Kurt was confused and scared but not in love.

It wasn't until way past meal time that Blaine's luck ran out and there was no one with him when Kurt joined him in Burt's room. Carole had gone to talk to Burt's doctors and Finn and Rachel had gone to catch some sleep. Blaine's parents were outside and he had spent the last hour finishing off a sketch of New York he had promised the old man before his trip and he hoped he could give him when he woke up. Because Blaine was certain Burt would wake up.

He had been so entranced by his drawing, he didn't hear the sound of the door opening and closing.

"Hey," Kurt said, earning a slight jump from Blaine.

"H-hi," Blaine replied shakily, trying to get his heart back in its place.

"What are you doing?" Kurt flopped next to Blaine in the couch, eyeing the paper in his hands.

"Um, just – you know – a little something for him… for when he wakes up."

"Can I see it?"

Blaine gave him the drawing and Kurt held it gently, delicately, as if he feared the paper would break in his grasp. He eyed it carefully and a beautiful, loving look took over his features. Blaine's heart got caught up in his throat. Even after everything that had happened between them, after the heartbreak and secrets, Kurt still took his breath away. He continued to be exactly what Blaine wanted but couldn't have. He smiled sadly at his realization and lowered his head, focusing his eyes on his hands.

"It's beautiful Blaine, I'm sure he's going to love it," Kurt whispered and when Blaine raised his head, he noticed he had tears in his eyes.

"A-are you… Kurt, are you alright?"

Kurt let out a shaky breath.

"Yeah, sorry," he said letting out a small laugh. "I'm sorry. I just keep thinking of all the things I want to say to him, you know? All the things he needs to know and I'm scared…. I'm scared I won't get the chance to tell him any of those things. I don't want him to d – um, to…" He couldn't even say it, the word itself broke his heart all over again. His father couldn't leave him. He just couldn't.

"He won't," Blaine whispered as if he had read Kurt's mind. "He's going to wake up, I know it. And you'll get your chance, Kurt. Don't give up hope, okay? You'll get to make things right with him."

"And with you?" Kurt asked in a low voice before he could stop himself. "Will I get the chance to make things right with you?"

He felt Blaine go tense next to him. Kurt held his breath, waiting for Blaine's answer and the tension in the room skyrocketed. The only sound was the beep of the monitor. Kurt's eyes were fixed on the ceiling at first but after the stressing minutes of silence passed, he had to turn and see what Blaine's face looked like at that moment.

Blaine was biting his lip, his eyes casted down. Kurt could tell he was really thinking about the answer. Blaine took a deep breath and faced Kurt.

"I don't know," he whispered.

"Give me a chance to explain myself, Blaine," Kurt begged. "Let me make you understand that I mean what I say and it's not just because I'm scared. I know you probably don't want to hear it right now and that's okay but, whenever you _are _ready, please… _please_ just let me explain."

"Kurt, I…"

"Just… think about it, okay?"

Blaine looked caught in an internal struggle as he searched for something in Kurt's eyes. He sighed and turned his head sideways to Burt's bed, biting his lip again. Suddenly, his eyes widened and he jolted up from his place on the couch.

"Kurt!"

Kurt turned to see his father's eyelids fluttering as he struggled to open them. He gave breathless laugh and rushed to the bed.

"Dad? Oh my god, dad! Can you hear me? I'm right here," he said as he held Burt's hand firmly.

Blaine was smiling as he ran out of the room to get a nurse or a doctor and tell Carole that Burt was finally waking up. Kurt's firm grasp remained and he felt his father's hand curling under his. His smile widened and Burt groaned as he attempted to speak and open his eyes at the same time.

"Shh… It's okay, dad. Take it easy. I'm right here."

"Where – where are we?"

"We're in the hospital, dad."

The doctor stepped in, followed by a nurse, and Kurt had to let go of Burt's hand while they checked him up. Carole and the entire Anderson clan ran back to the room and her hand instantly flew to her mouth as happy tears left her eyes. Kurt went to give her a hug and Blaine reached for his phone and went outside to call Finn and Rachel.

"How are you feeling, Mr. Hummel?" the doctor asked.

"Tired and confused," Burt mumbled.

"Well, that's completely normal. Do you remember what happened?"

"I think I had a heart attack."

"That's right, you did. You were in a coma for eight days."

"Eight days?" Burt raised his voice.

"Take it easy, Mr. Hummel. Try to control your breathing so you don't force your heart again, okay?"

Burt nodded and tried to relax as he tried to get his mind around the fact that he was out for an entire week.

Kurt and Carole sat on each side of the bed once the doctors had checked him left the room to give the friends and family some privacy. He attempted to speak but could only muster the strength to whisper some words here and there before growing silent and drifting to sleep. It didn't matter that he was only awake for a few minutes; Kurt couldn't be happier.

He had his father back.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Burt woke up to the sun hitting his face. He squirmed around trying to get a few more minutes of sleep when a voice made him stop his movements.<p>

"Dad?"

Burt opened his eyes slowly and blinked a few times to focus, the face of his son coming in sight.

"Kurt," he whispered as he tried to lift himself up to a sitting position.

"Easy there," Kurt said and helped him.

Once he was settled, he turned to lock eyes with Kurt.

"Hi" his son said quietly, blushing and looking down at his feet. He looked exactly like he used to when he was a little boy and he had done something wrong. It made Burt's fragile heart swell at the sight.

"I'm sorry –"

"Look, bud –"

Kurt laughed sheepishly and Burt smiled in response.

"You go ahead, kiddo."

Kurt sighed and sat back down at the chair next to his bed.

"I'm so sorry, dad. I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry for the things I said before you – before this happened. I'm sorry for making you get so worked up, you ended up having a heart attack. But it's more than that. I'm sorry for being such a crappy son for all these years. You deserve better and I'm so sorry I couldn't deliver. I'm sorry that I –"

"Kurt, stop. I know, okay? I know you're sorry and yes, you're right. You were wrong in many things over the years but you're never going to be a crappy son, okay? You're my boy and I love you, flaws and all."

"I know, I know you do. But see, that's the thing. You're this amazing man, this incredible father that loves and supports his son even when he screws up over and over again and I don't feel like I've showed you how much that means to me, dad. I had begun to take you and the things you do for granted. I had forgotten how rare it is to have such a supportive, caring father and it took me almost losing you to remember that. So let me just say it. Let me say what I need to say, what you need to know. What I should've let you know every single day and will do for the rest of my life.

"I'm lucky to have you, dad. You're the person I admire the most, even if I spent way too much time making you believe otherwise. But you are. And I love you so much and I'm sorry I got so caught up living the lies in my head that I forgot to tell you that."

Burt's eyes were glistening as he heard his son speak but what made him finally break and let them stream down his face were those three words he had gone so long without hearing. He gave Kurt a watery smile and reached for his hand.

"Thank you, Kurt. Thank you for saying all those things. I guess I really needed to hear them after all. And I love you too, kiddo, and always will."

They smiled at each other through their tear-filled eyes. The moment was interrupted by Carole and Blaine coming into the room. Kurt quickly wiped his tears away before either of them could see him.

"Burt, you're awake! How are you feeling?" Carole asked cheerfully and went to kiss his forehead gently.

"Hi, honey. I feel great," he said affectionately and turned to look at Blaine. "Hey there, bud. How was New York? You got me my sketch?"

"I sure did and it was awesome," Blaine said happily as he grabbed his bag resting on the couch and took out the drawing he had made. He handed it over to Burt.

"Whoa, you sure are talented, kid, Thank you for this," Burt said fondly as he eyed the drawing before carefully putting it on his lap. "You gotta tell me all about that trip."

They began talking about Blaine's week in the big city and half an hour later, Finn and Rachel got to the hospital and the rest of the day was spent inside Burt's room. Burt was happy to see everyone and was thrilled to watch Kurt's attitude towards everyone. It was like watching his little boy again. He knew Kurt would never truly go back to the person he was as a teenager but watching that spark in his blue eyes, the way his smile was honest and heartfelt and how he interacted with everyone, he was pretty damn close to his old self. Burt couldn't feel happier.

He had his boy back.

* * *

><p>Around 4 o'clock, while everyone was having a small feast inside the hospital room, Kurt's phone rang. Blaine saw Kurt tense as he watched the caller id and stepped into the hall to take the call. He knew he should feel bothered, since he and Kurt were just friends now but curiosity got the best of him and he followed him out.<p>

"What's up? Yeah, I know. Well, my dad is in the hospital, I'm sure they can understand that. Yeah, really. What? They are? No way! Does that mean everything is set, then? Perfect, thank you, Harry. Yeah, okay, I'll ask Linda to send the rest of the paperwork to you. Okay, yeah. Bye."

Blaine waited for Kurt to hang up, balancing his weight on his feet. He didn't know what to do or why he had decided to listen to the entire conversation. Kurt turned around to return to the room, shoving his phone on his pocket when he noticed Blaine standing before him.

"Oh."

"Um, sorry… I don't know why I followed you out."

"I-It's okay," Kurt said, looking suddenly nervous, like he had just been caught committing a crime.

"What was the call about?" Blaine asked, his curiosity increasing as he noticed Kurt's uneasiness.

"It was… I mean, I was… Shit," he muttered and ran a hand through his head.

"You know what? It was none of my business. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked –"

"It was a call from New York."

"What?"

Kurt sighed.

"It was a call from New York. Remember I told you I needed to explain everything to you?"

Blaine nodded.

"Are you willing to hear it now?"

They were sitting on a bench outside the hospital. Blaine had accepted to hear everything Kurt wanted to say but now that the time had come, Kurt found himself struggling with the words. He needed to get this right, otherwise, he would lose Blaine for good this time.

"Okay," he began slowly. "I really don't know how to explain everything to you but I hope you can understand why I did the things I did. You say I don't really mean it when _I _say that I love you but the thing is, I really do. I'm not saying this out of the blue because to be honest, I've been in love with you almost from the moment I met you. I just didn't want to accept it."

Blaine made an attempt to interrupt him but Kurt shook his head.

"Let me finish. Please." Blaine nodded slowly and rested his back on the bench, allowing Kurt to continue.

"Ever since I met you, you were intriguing to me. You never reacted the way I expected you to and I thought that was it. You were just fun for a little while. But then you weren't and I got you stuck in my head all day. That time at Epsilon, when you said all those things to me about being numb and pathetic –"

"Yeah, sorry about that."

"It's okay," Kurt laughed. "You were right. I _was _pathetic and what you said hit me hard. After that, you just… changed me. You made me see who I had become and when we agreed to be friends, things felt right, you know? _You_ feel right. And then, when everything went down with your dad and you ended up at my place, crying your heart out, you just had me. You got a fierce hold on my heart that night; that's why I ended up telling you everything about what had happened to me in high school. That was something I had never told out loud and I did with you because you meant something to me. You sort of reminded me of myself back then. With this air of innocence and youth and big dreams of making it in the big city.

"That was the night I found out you wanted to go to New York. I didn't say anything. And then the next day, when we saw your mom at the diner after leaving your dad, you said you wanted to look for cheaper options because she would not be able to afford it, remember that?"

Blaine nodded, giving Kurt a curious look.

"I didn't want to see you give up on your dream school just like that. I wanted you to be happy, but I wanted to _make _you happy. So that night, after you had fallen asleep, I called my assistant and asked her to make some calls. I asked her to take the offer for my clothing line in New York."

"What?"

"I wanted to go with you. I wanted to help you get to where you want to get. So I started planning. That's why I arrived late so many nights. I had to work out the details with them."

"But then why? I mean, the smell of alcohol and drinks –"

"They're New Yorkers, they sometimes wanted to have a drink, go out for a while. So I did. They smoke like chimneys too, so that's probably why I smelled like that when I got home. But that's all we did. I never cheated on you, Blaine. Never felt the need to. I was happy with you and I didn't need anything else."

"Then explain to me _why… _Why were you with that man before Finn and Rachel's wedding? Why hurt me like that if you were happy too?"

Kurt closed his eyes.

"Because I'm an idiot and a coward. I loved you all along, but up until then, I didn't have to come to terms with it, you know? I could make myself believe it wasn't that big of a deal. I hadn't been in a situation where I truly realized how much I needed you until that morning when we ended up fucking on the floor, remember that?"

Blaine's lips parted and he nodded quickly.

"I got up that day and I wanted to make you breakfast so I went and got the coffee machine ready and I turned on the TV. I was getting some stuff out of the fridge when I heard… Fuck! It still upsets me… I heard Karofsky's name on the news."

"What? Why was his name on the news? Oh m god –"

Realization hit Blaine hard as he began to tie the loose ends.

"He was arrested. For rape or something. I didn't hear, I just stood there, frozen and feeling hopeless like I hadn't felt for years. And then you came into the kitchen and I lost it. I needed you then, I needed to feel you near me. _That_ was the moment when it hit me; I need you, Blaine. I need you too much and I had spent so much time telling myself I didn't need anyone that I got scared. It scared the shit out of me to have you be so important to me, to need and want you around so badly. So I tried to prove to you and myself that I didn't need you.

"But when you walked in on us and I saw your face and I realized how stupid I was. I immediately regretted what I had done. Proving I didn't need you wasn't worth losing you. Nothing is. But then, you decided you'd had enough. I can't blame you, you put up with so much for me and instead of doing the same, instead of fighting for you, I let you walk away because I was still too fucking scared to let you know how I truly felt.

"And now, I feel like I'm going to lose you for real this time and I can't have that. I'm fighting this time, Blaine. Whatever it takes, I'm willing to do it. Yes, it has taken my dad almost dying to make me say all of this but it's not something new. It's been there all along. I've loved you all along."

Blaine was speechless as he felt his heart hammering into his rib cage. Everything was clear now, the missing pieces of the puzzle were there and now everything that had happened in the last few weeks made sense. He didn't know how to feel, a bundle of emotions were trying to break free.

"I don't know what to say…"

"Say you'll give me another chance. Let's start over," Kurt said, shifting to face Blaine and grab his hands.

"I…"

"I'll ask you out the way it should be. I'll take you out on a real date. Let me prove to you how much I love you. And when you graduate, if you decide you still want to be with me, then come live with me in New York. Hop on that plane with me and be with me."

"I'm still young, Kurt. What if… What if we do that and then I… I don't know, I change my mind? Or _you _change yours?"

"I'm not going to change my mind. And if you do, then I'll let you go. I'll do whatever you need me to do, Blaine."

"You're willing to do all of this for me?"

"Anything to make you happy."

Blaine smiled and shook his head.

"So, what do you say?"

"…Okay," Blaine whispered.

"Okay?"

They locked eyes.

"Okay."

* * *

><p>Burt had gotten discharged a few days after that and everything slowly went back to normal. Blaine didn't go back to Kurt's place, he lived with his mom. Kurt was true to his word and made out a fresh start for both of them. They were now in a healthy, normal relationship. They had taken things slow, since Blaine was still having doubts about the whole deal but after the first weeks, the uneasiness he felt faded away and he got to enjoy it all again.<p>

Now, after weeks of getting ready for it, the big moment had arrived. This was the day he'd be graduating high school. The weather was perfect, the warm breeze slowly moving the trees as the students gathered around and lined up to get their diplomas. Quinn and Santana had been crying non-stop since the moment they arrived. Blaine felt nostalgic too, but preferred to remain strong for his friends than succumb to the tears that were screaming to get out. He was certain this was not the last time they would be together like this, their friendship was stronger than that. But that didn't ease the pain of having to part ways soon.

As the names began to be called and students flanked the podium to receive their diplomas, Blaine turned to look at his family. It wasn't just his mom and dad like he had imagined it when he daydreamed of his high school graduation. Now, it was an entire row of people that were there for him and his friends. People who cared and loved him like members of his own family. He spotted Carole and Burt sitting next to his and Quinn's parents with Puck right next to them. Santana's parents were also sitting nearby. Carole was crying just like her mom was. Next to them, Rachel was smiling at him while Finn took pictures. And right at the end of the row, there he sat.

Kurt.

He looked stunning in his black suit and his bright blue eyes were fixed on Blaine.

"Blaine Adam Anderson!"

The entire row of family and friends stood up to cheer for him as he stepped into the stage and was handed his diploma. He waved at all of them before stepping down. The same ritual went on as Quinn and Santana got theirs.

This was it. They had graduated high school.

Students reunited with their families and took pictures with their friends, laughing and crying in equal measure.

Blaine, Quinn and Santana had gotten their own share of pictures, laughs and tears. After promising to stay in touch and never let that friendship end, they had gone to find their families. Blaine had already been smothered by his mom and hugged to near asphyxiation by his dad. Burt, Carole, Finn and Rachel had also gotten their share.

The last person to congratulate him was his boyfriend.

"Looking handsome in red," Kurt commented as he took in Blaine's graduation gown.

"Thanks," Blaine smiled.

"Feels weird, doesn't it? To be out of this place at last?"

"Yeah, but a good weird. I can't wait to go to New York, though."

"Speaking of which," Kurt commented as he reached for Blaine's hand and intertwined their fingers. "What did you decide?"

Blaine had thought long and hard these last few days about what he wanted to do with his relationship with Kurt. It would be extremely difficult and he knew it. Nothing was set in stone and things could still change in a heartbeat. But Kurt was worth it. He knew it.

"Let's do this together. I don't know what's going to happen. But I know I love you and I'm willing to try. So… let's go to New York…. Together."

"Yes!"

Kurt laughed loudly and lunged to hug Blaine, forgetting they were in the middle of a crowd and kissing Blaine over and over again.

"I love you," he mumbled in between kisses. "I love you, I love you, I love you."

"I love you, too."

Kurt rested their foreheads together.

"We'll make this work," he stated. "I'll make sure of it. I'm yours for as long as you want me."

Blaine smiled.

"I'll always want you."

They kissed again.

"We should go back," Blaine said. "I bet they're waiting for us.

They caught up with their families to get to the small party they had arranged for the three graduates back at the diner. Before stepping into Kurt's car, though, Blaine twirled around to face him.

"What if you someday get bored, huh? I do live a pretty ordinary life, you know?" he teased.

"Blaine, you always turn something ordinary into something extraordinary. How could I ever get bored?"

Blaine smiled and leaned forward to kiss Kurt. He could feel the older man smile against his lips and his heart fluttered. This was right. This was what he wanted. Kurt was what he wanted.

They still had a long way to go but they would go through it together.

Just the way it should be.


	22. Epilogue: Two Years Later

_**2 Years Later…**_

* * *

><p>"I <em>can't <em>believe this! I'm sitting here, _totally naked_, and we're not doing anything. Why aren't we doing anything?"

"Speak for yourself, I'm working. Now, stop whining and hold still. I'm almost done."

Kurt huffed and tried to remain in the same position he had been for the last hour and a half. Blaine smiled and rolled his eyes affectionately as he returned his attention to the sketch in front of him. This was not something new, Kurt posing for Blaine.

It was something that had started when Blaine first entered school and they left him a human figure assignment. He had originally planned to ask their class model to pose for him, given he had already drawn the guy's body before. When Kurt found out, he threw a tantrum and was in a terrible mood until Blaine asked him to be the model instead. Kurt immediately said yes and the foul mood disappeared.

He had found it adorable that Kurt wanted to help him and, if he was being honest, he also liked that his boyfriend had gotten jealous.

His boyfriend.

He had been able to call Kurt just that for the past two years and in that time, not once had he felt insecure or nervous about them. At first, there was this small seed of fear buried deep within him, making him wonder if Kurt had not truly changed and everything he had told Blaine had been just in the spur of the moment because he was afraid to lose the people in his life.

But it wasn't.

Kurt proved to him every day that he had meant every word.

Every day, Kurt would get up before him, set up the coffee machine, pour it in a cup and bring it to the bed. He would place it on Blaine's night-stand and would lean in to wake him up with light kisses. He would get ready with him and wrap his arms around Blaine's waist from behind, chin resting in his shoulder, as the younger man gelled up his hair. And when they stepped out of their apartment, Kurt would immediately reach for Blaine's hand, entwining their fingers together and placing a soft, quick kiss in it as they waited for the elevator. At night, they would make love and Blaine would sense Kurt's love and adoration oozing off of him as they locked eyes and screamed each other's names. He would feel it every time they went to sleep curled up together.

It wasn't all sun and rainbows, of course. Kurt would still have rough days with his clothing line and everything that came with it and he would sometimes take it out on Blaine. They would fight, just like every other couple, about the smallest of things, only to make up a few hours later. Kurt was still stubborn and it would sometimes drive Blaine crazy. He would sometimes put the walls back up and Blaine would have to make him tear them down again. Blaine would sometimes feel insecure about something in their relationship but Kurt always found a way to reassure him, to prove him he wasn't going anywhere. There were other times when he would get so stressed out at school that he would snap at Kurt over anything. They would sometimes yell at each other, get mad at each other, ignore each other but they always came back.

They always worked things out because one thing was certain. Kurt loved him. And Blaine loved him right back.

Blaine had told Kurt once, before leaving for New York, that he could someday change his mind. That he was still young and would probably want something else in the future. Now, two years later, he knew that wouldn't happen. Kurt was still the only person he wanted and he knew that wouldn't change.

He smiled as he finished tracing the last lines of the outline of the body and when he was just missing a few shades here and there, he raised his head to Kurt.

"You can move now, I'm almost finished."

Kurt's shoulders slumped down and he twisted his neck sideways. He put his shirt back on and watched Blaine as he did the final touches, his brows knitted in deep concentration and the tip of his tongue caught between his lips. An affectionate smile appeared on Kurt's face as he watched his boyfriend work.

He admired the way his eyes flickered to several parts of the drawing, those honey-eyes that drove him crazy. He watched the way his long eyelashes fluttered whenever he blinked and the way he almost held his breath as he placed the pencil on the paper.

There was no denying it.

Kurt Hummel was insanely, desperately and hopelessly in love with Blaine Anderson.

Two and a half years ago, he would have never admitted it, he wouldn't even have believe it was possible for him to feel anything remotely close to love again. Now, he wanted to scream at the top of his lungs about how much he loved this man standing in front of him. He wasn't scared anymore and he was slowly piecing himself back together. He would never be the same Kurt Hummel he used to be in high school but he was a new, better Kurt, all because of this one talented, honey-eyed, curly haired artist that had gotten a hold of his heart and would never let go.

Kurt would never find the words to let Blaine know everything he felt and he knew it. That was why he made it his mission to _prove _it to him every day of his life.

Every day.

Kurt's lips parted as realization hit him. He truly wanted to spend every single day of his life with Blaine. He would never feel this way for anyone other than Blaine. He turned to look at Blaine again and he couldn't keep in his silly grin.

"Aaaand… I'm done!" Blaine said proudly and left the pencil down.

He raised his head and found his boyfriend staring at him with a look of pure adoration and a goofy smile on his face.

"What?" he asked smiling and he tilted his head to the side.

"I love you," Kurt replied, smile getting bigger and brighter.

Blaine blushed. Even after two years of listening to those words, he couldn't get used to them coming out of Kurt's mouth. His stomach fluttered and his heart skipped a beat and he knew he would always have that reaction, no matter how many times Kurt said he loved him.

"I love you too."

Kurt's eyes kept boring right into his soul and Blaine had to look away because the feeling was too much. He focused on his finished drawing and picked his pencil, twirling it in his hand to distract himself.

"D-do you, um, want to see it? I-I think I really like how it turned out. I'm getting better with the shading, I think. You'll probably say it's perfect, cause that's what you always say but I really need you to be objective with this one because I –"

"Marry me."

The pencil fell to the floor.

"W-what?"

Blaine turned to see Kurt, who shrugged and smiled at him.

"Marry me," he repeated.

Blaine's mouth hanged open and he inhaled sharply. Kurt stood up and went to stand in front of him, grabbing his hand.

"I-it doesn't have to be _now,_" Kurt stuttered. "Because, well, you're young and you have so much going for you a-and you're going to do great things with your art and be famous and everything. But I want you to marry me _someday_ a-and I… Fuck, I'm not really good at this. Look, I know I've screwed up a lot in the past and it's taken me forever to get here but I love you, Blaine. _So much_. You – you saved me."

Blaine swallowed hard.

"I was broken when you found me and I was certain I'd never work right again. Heck, even my family had given up hope on me. But you… you didn't. You were determined to know me and put up with all my crap and you just – you loved me, every step of the way. You showed me what true strength is. You taught me that I needed to be brave and face my demons. You pulled me out of the hole I had dug for myself.

"You made me believe in love again, Blaine. You made me remember how wonderful it is to have someone accept every part of you and love you because and in spite of them. I look back at that night I met you and I thank whoever is out there for making me want to go home early because I was able to find you. You changed me. You've taught me so much and I just want to spend the rest of my life showing you how much I love you."

Blaine's eyes glistened with tears as he let out a shaky breath followed by a small laugh.

"You say you're not good at this but I beg to differ."

Kurt smiled.

"So," he began again, kneeling down. "Blaine Anderson, will you marry me… someday?"

Blaine laughed and kneeled in front of Kurt, grabbing his face in his hands.

"Someday," he promised and leaned in to kiss him.

Kurt placed his hands above Blaine's and smiled into the kiss. They pulled apart and it was Kurt's turn to grab Blaine's face.

"One day," he kissed him.

"When you have your own art gallery…"

Kiss.

"And everyone is in love with your work…"

Kiss.

"And there's this big exhibition going on and the place is packed with people, crazy fans of yours…"

Kiss.

"I'm going to kneel in front of you, just like today, and I'm going to ask you to marry me again."

Kiss.

"And you'll gave no other choice but to say yes, cause everyone will be expecting you to say that."

Blaine laughed lightly and rested their foreheads together.

"Relying on peer pressure? How romantic of you, Mr. Hummel! As if I'd ever answer anything other than 'yes'."

Kurt closed his eyes and smiled.

"I'm so in love with you."

Blaine kissed him again.

"Hey, if I already said yes, even if we're not going to get married now, does that make you my fiancé?"

"I think it does," Kurt replied.

"I think I like it better than 'boyfriend'."

"You do, huh?"

"Yeah," Blaine grabbed Kurt's hand and gave it a soft kiss. "But I think I'll like 'husband' better."

"Oh, I think I will too."


End file.
